James Franklin replacements: Ranking Penn State’s best candidates from Matt Rhule to Pat Fitzgerald

James Franklin will not be the coach when Penn State’s nightmare 2025 season finally ends. 

The Nittany Lions’ slide continued on Saturday with a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern, resulting in Penn State firing the head coach less than 24 hours after the shocking upset. 

It has been a quick reversal of fortune in 2025. Quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury. Penn State went from preseason No. 2 in the AP poll to a three-loss team. 

Why is this shocking? Penn State won 10 or more games each of the last three seasons under Franklin, and that included a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. Franklin’s struggles against top-10 teams are well-documented, but back-to-back losses against unranked teams effectively knocked Penn State out of the College Football Playoff this season. That was unexpected, to say the least. 

The Nittany Lions are moving on, but at what cost? It’s a lot. After Saturday’s loss to Northwestern, however, there will be some interesting potential candidates to emerge with Penn State moving on.

MORE: Breaking down Penn State’s 2025 collapse

What is James Franklin’s buyout at Penn State? 

Franklin signed a 10-year, $85 million contract in 2021. According to 247Sports.com, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports Franklin’s buyout is worth $49 million, per his contract. It ranks among the top with FBS coaches. That is a hefty number for the Nittany Lions, especially considering the renovations at Beaver Stadium and the NIL race with other Big Ten powers. Would parting ways with Franklin really be worth it? Keep in mind Penn State had an 11-11 record under Franklin from 2020-21 and stayed put. 

Penn State coaching candidates 

Who might be in line to take James Franklin’s job at Penn State? A look at some of the best candidates: 

Matt Rhule, Nebraska coach 

Rhule, 50, is in the midst of a patented third-year rebuild at Nebraska. The Huskers are 5-1 and could be in the mix for the College Football Playoff. Why would Rhule leave for another school in the Big Ten? Rhule would be at his alma mater, where he played from 1994-97. Rhule is scheduled to make $8.5 million as Nebraska’s coach this season, so it would not be a cheap move. This would still be the most-popular hire, without question.

Manny Diaz, Duke coach 

Diaz, 51, was a defensive coordinator at Penn State from 2022-23. He finished 21-15 at Miami from 2019-21 and is 13-6 since taking over at Duke. Diaz has proven he can handle coaching in the NIL and transfer portal era, and the chance to upgrade with the Nittany Lions would be interesting. Still, how much different would he be than Franklin in the Big Ten?  

Curt Cignetti, Indiana coach 

Cignetti, 64, is 17-2 at Indiana – and the Hoosiers are in position for a second straight College Football Playoff appearance. Cignetti is 36-6 in the FBS between stints at James Madison and Indiana. He wins, and he knows it. That has to be attractive, but would the Hoosiers coach entertain leaving the Hoosiers for the Nittany Lions amid another College Football Playoff push? We have our doubts. 

MORE: Curt Cignetti throws sideline fit during IU’s upset of Oregon

Alex Golesh, South Florida coach 

Golesh, 41, might be the best fit among the up-and-coming American Conference coaches. He was a GA at Ohio State from 2004-05, and he’s built on offensive coordinator stints at UCF and Tennessee. South Florida is 19-13 since he took over, and Golesh uses a blend of an up-tempo offense with an aggressive defense that would play well in Happy Valley. It’s a big jump. 

Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach 

Campbell, 45, continues to watch his stock fluctuate at Iowa State. The Cyclones won 11 games last season, but they have suffered two losses in Big 12 play this season. Campbell has Iowa State on pace for its eighth winning season in 10 years. We have wanted to see what Campbell can do with a major Power 4 program for years. Is this the right time to take that swing? 

Pat Fitzgerald, former Northwestern coach 

Fitzgerald, 50, has been out of coaching the last two seasons since the end of his tenure at Northwestern. He compiled a 110-101 record with the Wildcats from 2006-22 with teams that constantly overachieved, and he settled a $130 million lawsuit with the school for wrongful termination after being dismissed from 2022. Fitzgerald could do the most with a second chance, and Penn State is an intriguing fit.