I think Alex Golesh at USF might get some consideration.
Joel Klatt gives 4 names for PSU HC
- Thread starter NorthwesternFan51234
- Start date
First off, I don’t think Dabo leaves Clemson (willingly) unless Bama offered him the job. He’s become somewhat thin skinned after taking some heat from fans after losses the last few years. His threats to leave Clemson were empty IMO.
That said, I don’t think Dabo is a good fit. He refuses to use the portal which is all important now. His southern ‘good ole boy’ shtick won’t work up here and will wear thin real quick. IIRC, he also had a family member with some health issues a few years ago. I don’t know where that stands now but State College may not be an ideal location, (if that’s even an issue anymore).
As for Cignetti, I don’t know what to make of him. Indiana’s doing very well now but I sometimes wonder if he’s one of those 1 hit wonder coaches that have a good year or 2, become all the talk of the football world, and then drops back to mediocrity later.
Last edited:
Given his deep Ohio-OSU roots (he grew up around Canton), I think Hartline is more likely to be the next OSU HC than PSU HC.
I'd love Hartline. Young and developing the best receivers in the country. Next, Cignetti.
The names being bandied about should be a sobering reminder that, perhaps, this was a hasty decision.
Nobody there has a meaningful postseason win. Nobody there inspires any confidence of a better trajectory ... perhaps Cignetti, but he's HIGHLY unlikely to come here.
Nobody there has a meaningful postseason win. Nobody there inspires any confidence of a better trajectory ... perhaps Cignetti, but he's HIGHLY unlikely to come here.
Hartline was OSU's offensive coordinator in 2023. Then they demoted him and brought Chip Kelly in to replace him the following season.
Incorrect... Hartline has been OC since 2023. He was never demoted. When Chip Kelly came in they were Co-OC. He was also passing game coordinator at OSU in 2022.
Last edited:
hey I correctly predicated Doug Peterson to the Eagles long before he was even on the radar, that doesnt mean Charles Huff will be the next coach at PSU.
Pete Nakos reporting that Marcus Freeman is going to be contacted. That doesn't seem even remotely possible, IMO.
Others on Nakos' shortlist - Rhule, Cignetti, & Lea.
Others on Nakos' shortlist - Rhule, Cignetti, & Lea.
All totally fair of course. Im merely saying based on Krafts presser yesterday, how is Dabo not at least called? 2 championships in 10 years.
Never heard of Pete Nakos, but Marcus Freeman would be a big "get," can't argue with his success at UND, seems to be able to get his players to play. Those two early season losses this year were close ones. It'll be interesting to see what UND does at USC. Wonder if Freeman is being contacted to satisfy an unwritten "Rooney Rule." I just can't see him leaving UND for PSU.
Lea is an interesting choice, but Franklin came from Vandy...and Lea isn't doing nearly the job with Vandy that Franklin did.
All that said, given the close relationship between Kraft and Rhule, I think it's Rhule's if he wants it.
But Kraft should be fired if he doesn't give Urban Meyer a call.
I am all in on the Lane Kiffin train - at least he will bring some attitude to the job and never a dull moment - he's Spurrier 2.0
Kraft should be fired if he gives the job to Rhule. He's the white James Franklin.
I'd imagine the Freeman news is a smokescreen - but it might give us visibility into the strategy of going after the young HCs.
I'd take Hartline in a second. Not being OC very long is nothing, if anything I'd rather have a HC who is out of the offensive play calling and sticks to WR development and letting the OC handle the offense as a whole. MOre of CEO type like JF should be.
As a long long long long suffering RU fan…please take GS…please! Put us out of our misery!
I was waiting for your take. More respect for you than 95 percent of the posters on here. i agree with you but no Drinkwitz. I would have Pat Fitzgerald as #4
Agree about Rhule. Manny, I always have concerns about his high risk
/reward defense but if he had elite players he might tone it down. Still, his name is lower down the list.
Fitzgerald is an interesting option. People seem to have forgotten about him. He always did more with less while at NW.
Please, not Rhule. I'd rater have Sumrall (Tulane), Drinkwitz (Mizzou), or Elko (A&M) than Rhule. Rhule is settling for a lesser coach.
I'd pick Hartline because he is reported to be OSU's #1 recruiter. The question is where do we quickly come up with an extra $5 million to rebuild this team from the portal? Recent recruiting classes have been so so and a lot of them are likely to decommit.
I’m not saying give him the job but it’s the first I’ve heard his name mentioned. If we’re going to consider Rhule and coaches from Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Iowa St then he can at least be mentioned.Please tell me you are joking
If Kraft hires Rhule he should be fired. My concern with Kraft is that his record at Temple, BC, and PSU of picking coaches is not impressive.
Cignetti is making as much as Franklin and he has a huge buyout. Hartline is making < $2 million so head coach at PSU would be a big upward move.
My question is did Kraft & Co. have a list of top candidates before the fired Franklin? I sure hope so.
To find the “next guy” sometimes you need to gamble.
But is it truly a gamble if all the other “non-gamble” guys don’t move the needle compared to the the guy you just dumped
I think Drinkwitz would be the most likely to accept. I don't think Urban or Kiffin are interested in PSU and if the rumors are true, Cignetti does not like PSU.
Absolutely right. The next superstar coach is probably an assistant or someone at a smaller school. Problem is identifying that guy. Kinda like evaluating QB’s.
Cignetti is a Pitt guy. Coached there for 7 years and was born there. Also some talk of a rift between his dad and Paterno? Enough $ can end a grudge though.
I know that money talks, but he's a head coach at a SEC school that also is expanding their stadium and obviously sinking a lot of money into that program, and he seems like he has them competing now at a consistent top 15 level.