Updated Head Coach Poll - who is most likely to be our next coach
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Hopefully Franklin's departure isn't the last we'll see of Keegan-Michael Key. That guy is talented
More Hartline and less Drink and Diaz than I would have thought. I know there is interest in Hartline, but I thought Kraft was more interested in a current head coach. You cannot deny Hartline’s potential, though. I’d be very happy with anybody in that list. It’s very difficult to watch the state of the program at the moment. There’s really only a handful of players giving true effort. The rest don’t care. We need to clean house.
Then Smith needs to do what Paterno did years ago: bench the guys who aren’t giving true effort and play those who will. If you are going to lose at least lose with players who care and want to play.
I agree with you. I’ve seen some bad PSU teams over the years and was at the infamous Toledo game. I’ve never seen a PSU team not give effort like 2025 PSU. We were not even giving good effort when we were ranked number two. I hope to God an investigative journalist tries to figure out what happened to this team and Franklin before he was fired.
I voted Chesney, though of all of those Brohm would be the best hire; unfortunately I think he either stays in Louisville or goes SEC.
So, I picked Chesney who seems to be the most likely to take the offer, but I really have no idea who it will be.
nardoozie. NATTY.by 2028.
Penn State marketing campaign when nardoozie is hired:
Get your Nard-on!
Drink is most likely to me. As nice as he has things going at Mizzou; it's not Penn State. I think Elko is a reach because A&M is humming and very wealthy. It is in the SEC though so who knows. Diaz seems comfortable at Duke. Brohm same in Louisville. Hartline would be my #2 (but my personal favorite for the job).
I'm still stuck in the mindset that Penn State requires prior Penn State experience so I chose Diaz.
If they can’t get Elko or Brohm then roll the dice with Hartline.
I’m surprised that Drink is not getting more votes in this poll because he is not going to the playoffs with his two starting qbs knocked out of the season and as such more available. This hire is likely not going to be based on the best candidate, but the most available quality candidate with how the playoff and signing timelines work out. Brohm and Key are certainly in playoff contention as well as Elko, Deboer, Hartline, etc.
I like Diaz and he did a fine job as DC. But the fact of the matter he was 21-15 in his 3 years at Miami which is the heart of one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country. I can’t see the value in firing Franklin and replacing him with the same retreads like Diaz, Rhule, etc. Since Kraft fired Franklin for not winning Big and National Championships, he needs a home run hire. So how about thinking outside the box and hiring Hartline or Joe Brady.
Might be great, but is also a huge risk. The safe bet is to think of it as Franklin completely fizzled out and one of these other retreads would at least build it back to where Franklin had it last year. All Franklin had to do was go 10-2 again, take his losses to Oregon and Ohio State and he still would have been here. Flat out quitting and losing to anything with a B1G logo on it is what did him in.
So how about thinking outside the box and hiring...
With a fervent, well-written letter of apology, a ten million annual salary increase and, obviously, a seat on the BOT, James Franklin might be persuaded to return.
You wanted outside the box!
IMO Diaz remains the fallback plan but some I talk to don't even believe he's been contacted.
Money accompanied most likely by Pat Kraft’s incessant meddling.
I didn’t see Terry Smith’s name posted. I think he is still an option, and maybe the best option.
Agree with your assessment. I voted Chesney too for the reasons you mentioned, but only because Terry Smith wasn’t listed. I think Terry is still very much in the mix.
“Build it back to where Franklin had it LAST YEAR”.
”All Franklin had to do was go 10-2 again”
Man, this next new guy, whoever the poor schmuck is, better be Superman on steroids to satisfy this crowd.
My best friend, a former player and alum of Miami laughs at the idea of Diaz. He had loads of talent at Miami and squandered it. Myself, I want a more offense minded coach who is currently a p4 coach who could bring talent with him. The cupboard is going to be bare.
This was supposed to be Franklin’s “career year” and the poster said he only had to go 10-2. Next year was to be the hangover year of crappiness like ‘83, ‘87, UM ‘24 after the enjoyment.
Still Franklin F’d up the not as high peak. Franklin always came through with the crappy years ‘20, ‘21, this year. Just never gave PSU a great year despite his self proclaiming of them.
Maybe Franklin would have kept the job even with losing 3 or 4 games this year, but not UCLA and Northwestern with appearing to have no hope of winning another game period until the high school games next September.
There has to at least be some hope of something. There was no hope of anything after that Northwestern game. We all walked back to our cars with our tails tucked between our legs thinking of how this team now can't even get to the Cheez-It Bowl.
He doesn't even have a say on which players he plays
I don’t know. I guess I’m a realist in my old age. I consider 11-2, 10-3, and 13-3 with a trip to the National Semi Final last year pretty good rebounds after a couple of “crappy” years caused by an International pandemic.
I sure pity the next guy coming in. At least he’ll get rich from all the endless cash we’ll throw at him.
I get what you are saying but something weird was going on internally behind the scenes with this program. We may never get all the story but it just had a toxic feel to it even beyond the dark years.I don’t know. I guess I’m a realist in my old age. I consider 11-2, 10-3, and 13-3 with a trip to the National Semi Final last year pretty good rebounds after a couple of “crappy” years caused by an International pandemic.
I sure pity the next guy coming in. At least he’ll get rich from all the endless cash we’ll throw at him.
There was at least “hope” for him to get it fixed next year. Now, there is none unless we hire Superman.
There’s been talk about NIL.
causing dissension within the team. A disparity in NIL. cash money exists across most every or every P5 team. Why would it be such an issue at PSU?I think it’s one of these:
Manny Diaz
Jeff Brohm
Brian Hartline
Not sure who yet. I’ll be shocked if it’s anyone else, but will support whomever.
Manny Diaz
Jeff Brohm
Brian Hartline
Not sure who yet. I’ll be shocked if it’s anyone else, but will support whomever.
Yeah, going 10-2 with your best roster ever, your hand picked coordinators, and getting paid over $8 million.
Poor Franklin.
So you fire Franklin for not winning Big and National Championships and hire a retread to build it back to “at least” build it back to where Franklin had it last year. I realize there is risk in hiring Hartline or Brady but there is no guarantee that any of the retreads will accomplish what you claim in your post either.
Good one. I have frequently defended Franklin over the years but even I don’t want that.