New coach

doctornick

All-Conference
Sep 4, 2007
641
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Who had someone immediately in place other than Michigan State and Kentucky? Florida nor LSU did
Immediately in place to announce on Sunday November 30. That is the day that competent ADs announce new coaches. Schools know you get the guy signed before Thanksgiving and you announce right after the last games of the year.
 
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Phils rug

Junior
Jun 2, 2005
107
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We Were!!!
Shut It Down 30 Rock GIF
 

doctornick

All-Conference
Sep 4, 2007
641
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True, but if 'your guy' is the HC of a team playing in a championship game this weekend (and that would only be Sumrall and Sitaki), it takes a little longer I think. Everyone else hired someone who was done with their season or otherwise available. Kiffin and Sitaki the only two P4 HC exceptions.

Disagree. It is in everyone's best interest - especially the coach coming in if they want to "hit the ground running" to be successful - to announce ASAP. This is even more true for PSU specifically given how decimated our recruiting class is for this year so the new HC needs to do a ton of work to sign anyone they can, keep players currently on the roster, and hit the portal very hard.
 
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PSU4U

All-American
Aug 6, 2019
6,970
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Unless he didn’t. Honestly I don’t believe most of the rumors swirling. And if it were Sitake, why wasn’t everything worked out and announced slreadyi

the irony is that given the status of the class, it means that PSU was the school that most critically needed someone to be announced on Sunday. This is an abomination
They offered BIG money and other things and the offer was serious and legit. Kraft is nearing the end and the picking is getting slim. As I see it the most likely left on the board that we know of would be Deboer Brohm The guy from the Giants Daboll and Terry Smith. I still do not see Hartline as a real candidate. IMO something better happen this coming Sunday at the latest.
 
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Midnighter

Heisman
Jan 22, 2021
11,418
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Disagree. It is in everyone's best interest - especially the coach coming in if they want to "hit the ground running" to be successful - to announce ASAP. This is even more true for PSU specifically given how decimated our recruiting class is for this year so the new HC needs to do a ton of work to sign anyone they can, keep players currently on the roster, and hit the portal very hard.

I guess. But we're the only school who had to deal with a James Franklin.
 
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Jun 26, 2025
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That viewpoint is just copium. If Kraft came out and said they were ok signing 0 recruits this cycle, and this is why, after announcing the Franklin firing. Everyone here would have said he'd lost his f'ing mind.

Yea, it's no big deal, that's why PSU would become the first P4 program in history to have this dubious occurrence?
 
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JoeBagobagels

Senior
Jun 24, 2025
321
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Sounding like a broken record - go get Hartline at $8-10M/yr on a 5 year deal with performance incentives and pair him with an experienced OC. PSU was prepared to pay a $40m buyout to Franklin. If Hartline doesn't work out after 2-3 years, you have a manageable buyout and can go for the $10-15m/yr coach at that time. At a bare minimum, he understands how to recruit the region and develop offensive skill players.
All of the candidates left are high risk, high reward, so might as well go for the highest reward candidate.

Hartline has been a pain in our arse for years now. Getting him has a lot of upside.
 
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PSU4U

All-American
Aug 6, 2019
6,970
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I have no problem with Terry Smith being named HC and being given a very intermediate contract with a light buyout (UCLA reportedly only gave Chesney a 5 year contract @$6mm per year), but this should have been done weeks ago to give Terry a chance to keep as much of the roster and recruiting class as possible..... Kraft should be fired if the job is now given to Terry at this late date - he has made it about as difficult to succeed as an AD possibly could. Look at what 'Ole Miss did in an attempt to stabilize their roster. Just utterly ridiculous how Kraft has handled this.
Yeah, can't disagree.

I don't think this thing has gone anywhere near what most of us thought it would. It seems every time Kraft had a window to jump through, he ran into the wall. I think at this point if it's not Terry Smith it will either be a miracle hire or low hanging fruit. Kraft has done everything possible to keep from Hirirng Terry Smith and that may be his ultimate undoing unless he pulls this out of the fire, and imo it is shaping up to be a dumpster fire of a search.
 

rigi19040

Senior
Aug 1, 2024
670
407
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Yeah, can't disagree.

I don't think this thing has gone anywhere near what most of us thought it would. It seems every time Kraft had a window to jump through, he ran into the wall. I think at this point if it's not Terry Smith it will either be a miracle hire or low hanging fruit. Kraft has done everything possible to keep from Hirirng Terry Smith and that may be his ultimate undoing unless he pulls this out of the fire, and imo it is shaping up to be a dumpster fire of a search.
Terry smith is not going to accept an intermediate contract, whatever that is.
 
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doctornick

All-Conference
Sep 4, 2007
641
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CBS reporting the Sitake decision won’t happen until after BYU’s championship game this weekend and there optimism on the BYU side that he will stay.

So another week on top of this no coach. Kraft continuing to nuke the program into oblivion.
If Kraft really is trying to sign Sitake - I'm dubious because of how stupid this has all been - and this is the reply then you dump him and move on to Brohm or Diaz or whomever else you have been talking to. Signing someone right now is more important than dangling in the win for the hopes of signing someone you think is "better".

And I'm skeptical that Sitake is really all that good of a choice.
 
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Midnighter

Heisman
Jan 22, 2021
11,418
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You're blaming Franklin for Kraft's failure now? That's taking your personal animus to a new level.

Franklin is one component. And maybe it's not necessarily just him - I can't recall a time when a coach was fired after four games and rehired somewhere else within the next month; maybe it's timing. But, I've never seen an entire class collapse like this when a coach was fired. Never.
 

WPB_lion

Junior
Jun 5, 2001
117
264
63
The 2026 class won't kill the program. Stop being overly dramatic
I am sure that any coach that eventually signs with PSU would have liked to opportunity to have pitched recruits for this 2026 class. It is very damaging to a program to have no recruits for an entire cycle. It is very difficult to make up the difference with quality recruits in future recruiting classes. It puts the new HC in a bad position.
 
Jun 26, 2025
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CBS reporting the Sitake decision won’t happen until after BYU’s championship game this weekend and there optimism on the BYU side that he will stay.

So another week on top of this no coach. Kraft continuing to nuke the program into oblivion.

The Governor of LA had the LSU AD, Jeff Landry, canned for far less incompetence. It is beyond time for the PSU President and BOT to step in, fire Kraft immediately, name Smith the new HC and let him get busy trying to triage this situation.... if the Fiduciaries at PSU refuse to fulfill their oblugations to PSU, the PA Governor should step in. This is ridiculous and pathetic what they are allowing this empty-suit hack executive do to PSU's program.
 
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BobPSU92

Heisman
Aug 22, 2001
42,507
33,109
113
Saturday night:

Kraft: So, Kalani, what do you say?

Sitake: 🤣

Kraft: 😞

*end call*

Kraft: [admin’s name], get me Matt Rhule on the phone right away. If he doesn’t answer, get me Al Golden. If he doesn’t answer, get me Jay Paterno.


😞
 

Midnighter

Heisman
Jan 22, 2021
11,418
18,777
113
Franklin is one component. And maybe it's not necessarily just him - I can't recall a time when a coach was fired after four games and rehired somewhere else within the next month; maybe it's timing. But, I've never seen an entire class collapse like this when a coach was fired. Never.

This seems so….familiar….

 
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fastlax16

Senior
Jan 1, 2014
420
514
93
I think it's rare to take a top coach from a top program but because it happened recently (Kelly, Riley) I think people thought it could happen again. I don't think Kraft really f'd up here; timing was bad and Franklin is a snake, but not much you can do about either.

Hindsight is 50/50 but Kraft screwed up the timing for two reasons-

1 (less of an issue) the VT opening presented a landing spot too close to home and it predictably resulted in creating a new legitimate recruiting threat in our on our key geographies

2 (real issue) our opening gave potential candidates months to negotiate extensions at a time when they weren't in positions to sign a contract with us an the optics of not accepting an extension would have been incredibly poor PR. It absolutely shrunk the candidate pool.

How is Franklin a snake? School fired him, he owes Penn State nothing from that point forward. Your employer isn't your family, everyone should take care of themselves.
 
Jun 26, 2025
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I am sure that any coach that eventually signs with PSU would have liked to opportunity to have pitched recruits for this 2026 class. It is very damaging to a program to have no recruits for an entire cycle. It is very difficult to make up the difference with quality recruits in future recruiting classes. It puts the new HC in a bad position.

Not to mention that it puts the coach in the unenviable position of attempting to pitch elite recruits - including both HS and X-Fer Portal - in the next cycle after his team could very easily go 0-12 in 2026.
 

Midnighter

Heisman
Jan 22, 2021
11,418
18,777
113
Hindsight is 50/50 but Kraft screwed up the timing for two reasons-

1 (less of an issue) the VT opening presented a landing spot too close to home and it predictably resulted in creating a new legitimate recruiting threat in our on our key geographies

2 (real issue) our opening gave potential candidates months to negotiate extensions at a time when they weren't in positions to sign a contract with us an the optics of not accepting an extension would have been incredibly poor PR. It absolutely shrunk the candidate pool.

How is Franklin a snake? School fired him, he owes Penn State nothing from that point forward. Your employer isn't your family, everyone should take care of themselves.

Working behind the scenes and around his boss to get raises and extensions while employed at Penn State is snake-like behavior. So is playing the victim on GameDay after losing two games when favored by 20+ points.
 
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NOYDB

Sophomore
Jan 21, 2012
149
135
27
Not to mention that it puts the coach in the unenviable position of attempting to pitch elite recruits - including both HS and X-Fer Portal - in the next cycle after his team could very easily go 0-12 in 2026.
Why would a Franklin family member use your board name? Is that suppose to be something that hides your hidden agenda?
Go to the VT board and get over it.. BGJ was fired! He’s gone! Not coming back!
 

G3624

Junior
Feb 18, 2014
279
235
43
The Governor of LA had the LSU AD, Jeff Landry, canned for far less incompetence. It is beyond time for the PSU President and BOT to step in, fire Kraft immediately, name Smith the new HC and let him get busy trying to triage this situation.... if the Fiduciaries at PSU refuse to fulfill their oblugations to PSU, the PA Governor should step in. This is ridiculous and pathetic what they are allowing this empty-suit hack executive do to PSU's program.
BOT will do nothing; this what they wanted.
 

Nitt1300

Heisman
Nov 2, 2008
6,632
12,430
113
Working behind the scenes and around his boss to get raises and promotions while employed at Penn State is snake-like behavior. So is playing the victim on GameDay after losing two games when favored by 20+ points.
I think there is a snake in this story.
 

TOC_Lions44

Freshman
Oct 19, 2021
76
68
18
Point well made. Yes, sometimes culture matters, sometimes it does not.

I am reserving judgment on Kraft until all the cards are on the table. Personally, on paper, Bob Chesney was the chance I would have taken, just like UF is taking Sumrall after striking out on Kiffin, but none of this negates the fact that Sitake is done very well at BYU. Kraft passed on Chesney because he wanted to go big game hunting. Not sure what that will result in.

I am not happy about the complete evaporation of the 2026 class nor the lack of guardrails for the upcoming exodus of players on the roster. It will result in PSU wading in uncharted waters (30+ portal players), but it may ultimately be a net gain.
I still can’t comprehend the strategy of having no recruiting class. How was he ever allowed to do this. Regardless of whom they hire, you can’t have a class of no recruits. Does he assume he can get guys to decommit in January to sign with PSU? This also assumes PSU has a coach at that point.
 
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Connorpozlee

All-American
Aug 29, 2013
3,102
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If Kraft really is trying to sign Sitake - I'm dubious because of how stupid this has all been - and this is the reply then you dump him and move on to Brohm or Diaz or whomever else you have been talking to. Signing someone right now is more important than dangling in the win for the hopes of signing someone you think is "better".

And I'm skeptical that Sitake is really all that good of a choice.
If Sitake was staying with BYU he wouldn’t wait until after the championship game to announce a decision.
 

CyphaPSU

All-Conference
Oct 25, 2021
1,153
1,967
113
CBS reporting the Sitake decision won’t happen until after BYU’s championship game this weekend and there optimism on the BYU side that he will stay.

So another week on top of this no coach. Kraft continuing to nuke the program into oblivion.
Wouldn't that theoretically be a small sign that PSU still has a legitimate chance to sign him? If he were convinced in his heart to stay at BYU at this point, why not announce ASAP in order to remove all distractions for his players in their CCG prep? Obviously, though, the timeline is terrible for PSU's football operations. If he announced he was leaving, a coach would more likely want to do that after a championship game rather than before it.

I still have low confidence about this hire coming to fruition, however. I would like to see Kraft more open to coordinators that are risky but have higher ceilings than what is left out there in the head coaching ranks.
 
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bdgan

All-Conference
Oct 12, 2021
3,651
3,690
113
This is absolutely crazy!!! Penn State football may well be over, no matter who they get as HC.
It's not over but the rebuild could be more difficult than coming back from sanctions. My guess is 3 years.