Updated Head Coach Poll - who is most likely to be our next coach

Who is the most likely to become the next head coach, regardless of who is your favorite

  • Brohm

    Votes: 28 14.8%
  • Campbell

    Votes: 4 2.1%
  • Chesney

    Votes: 12 6.3%
  • Deboer

    Votes: 4 2.1%
  • Diaz

    Votes: 25 13.2%
  • Drinkwitz

    Votes: 17 9.0%
  • Elko

    Votes: 20 10.6%
  • Hartline

    Votes: 65 34.4%
  • Key

    Votes: 12 6.3%
  • Lea

    Votes: 2 1.1%

  • Total voters
    189
Oct 13, 2025
34
58
13
OSU rumor control sources that have always proven to be very reliable in the past have chimed in and stated that Hartline has been fielding requests for discussions about open positions. However, it is claimed that his #1 focus at this time is helping Ohio State win the Natty and he is advising these teams that he cannot in good faith devote any time and attention to this until season's end. His position doesn't seem to rule out looking at opportunities, but he is reminding people that he is in the middle of a run for a Natty and all his time and attention are focused on his current team and responsibilities. He is likely to be bumped to Assistant HC and also retain the role of Offensive Coordinator. It is claimed that OSU is working on an extension with an extremely lucrative pay raise and this bump in role for BH. He is seen as being groomed for the HC role once Day departs for the NFL, which most think is likely to happen within five years.
 

LMTLION

All-Conference
Mar 20, 2008
642
1,078
92
Duke lost to UConn and gave up 467 yards in the process. Not a good second interview for Manny! Louisville currently losing to Cal, maybe Brohm gets his team to pull it together in the second half. JMU, Tulane and USF had good wins this week, although I am not sure Chesney, Golesh amd Sumrall are being considered by PSU despite being on our coach boards out there. Missouri, with Drink down to his freshman qb, got clobbered by A&M. Drink is officially very available with no hope of the playoffs.
 
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SRURock24

Junior
Jul 25, 2017
277
240
43
Duke lost to UConn and gave up 467 yards in the process. Not a good second interview for Manny! Louisville currently losing to Cal, maybe Brohm gets his team to pull it together in the second half. JMU, Tulane and USF had good wins this week, although I am not sure Chesney, Golesh amd Sumrall are being considered by PSU despite being on our coach boards out there. Missouri, with Drink down to his freshman qb, got clobbered by A&M. Drink is officially very available with no hope of the playoffs.
Hartline is undefeated!
 
Oct 12, 2015
801
921
93
Not really a surprise. People look at the WR room at OSU and the play of the aliens in his room and think transitively. If Hartline comes we would recruit players like Smith and Tate to PSU. Unfortunately it does not quite work like that.
Maybe not Smith and Tate. But if you don’t think hiring Brian Hartline doesn’t immediately give PSU credibility in WR recruiting, you’re severely underestimating his pull.
 

Arivacalion

Junior
Aug 25, 2025
316
376
63
The man we need. Make it happen PSU.

Lost to UConn
 
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Nitt1300

Heisman
Nov 2, 2008
6,228
11,596
113
Maybe not Smith and Tate. But if you don’t think hiring Brian Hartline doesn’t immediately give PSU credibility in WR recruiting, you’re severely underestimating his pull.
You may be overestimating it- tOSU is a great pull in itself. PSU's golden age was 40 years ago.

Many of our fans assign us a spot we do not occupy, and haven't occupied for decades.
 

Itraindogs

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2024
829
1,537
93
Maybe not Smith and Tate. But if you don’t think hiring Brian Hartline doesn’t immediately give PSU credibility in WR recruiting, you’re severely underestimating his pull.
Of course it would, but we are talking about him bringing with him players recruited to play at OSU. If his obligations not running a program allow him some time to recruit, he surely will be a draw for high school players and portal players who were unsuccessful elsewhere. But the view they will leave OSU to go to a rebuild is silly. As we saw with the switch from Knowles to Patricia the Caleb Downses, Arvell Reeses, and so on of the OSU squad did not follow Knowles when he split. Yes, perhaps personalities are at work here, but the OSU brand is very different from the PSU brand. OSU is an elite program, Penn State, sadly, is not.
 
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Itraindogs

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2024
829
1,537
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You may be overestimating it- tOSU is a great pull in itself. PSU's golden age was 40 years ago.

Many of our fans assign us a spot we do not occupy, and haven't occupied for decades.
I think this is too strong, though I agree in principle. Penn State is(was) as solid second tier B10 team; reliably 3rd, now 5th (after Oregon and Indiana), but surely not perceived in the same light as OSU. That is simply a fact by virtue of the existing discrepancy of blue chip talent on both squads.
 

mh-larch

Junior
Nov 20, 2019
120
210
43
You may be overestimating it- tOSU is a great pull in itself. PSU's golden age was 40 years ago.

Many of our fans assign us a spot we do not occupy, and haven't occupied for decades.
But Indiana and Oregon has recently with little or no past glory. We can get there again.....our best days haven't passed us. We were just in the CFP last season....how quickly we forget.
 
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AvgUser

All-Conference
Jul 12, 2016
1,186
1,577
113
I think Kraft WANTS to ”lose out” to cover his a$$. If he would have waited till the end of the season, Franklin might have actually won some games, and righted the ship going into next year.

Kraft’s presser made it sound like he’s infatuated with all the money he thinks he has at his disposal, and thinks he has an endless amount of cash on hand to buy some superstar coach (who more than likely doesn’t exist) and a National Championship in the next couple of years.

The guy is beyond delusional.
Thank you Fumi.
 

Itraindogs

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2024
829
1,537
93
But Indiana and Oregon has recently with little or no past glory. So can we again.....our best days haven't passed us. We were just in the CFP last season....how quickly we forget.
You need to compare apples to apples. Cignetti brought his entire roster over from a Group of Five club and Lanning inherited a stocked roster assembled by Cristobal This is not going to be replicated for many different reasons that if uou follow recruiting, portal additions, revenue sharing, etc. are plain to see. The closest analogue to Cignetti would be Chesney who maybe could bring enough players to flip a roster. No P4 coach from a successful program could
 
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BobPSU92

Heisman
Aug 22, 2001
41,508
30,993
113
But Indiana and Oregon has recently with little or no past glory. We can get there again.....our best days haven't passed us. We were just in the CFP last season....how quickly we forget.

This is the end, beautiful friend…

😞
 

PSUwolf

Senior
Nov 11, 2014
2,398
429
83
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.
Agree about Hartline's attraction being about potential as he's only been calling plays now- as the OC - for 8 games. I get it about his WR recruiting - development being attractive to a school but we need to get this one right. In 3 or 4 years I'll probably have Hartline at the top of my list for HC openings
 
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PSUwolf

Senior
Nov 11, 2014
2,398
429
83
OSU rumor control sources that have always proven to be very reliable in the past have chimed in and stated that Hartline has been fielding requests for discussions about open positions. However, it is claimed that his #1 focus at this time is helping Ohio State win the Natty and he is advising these teams that he cannot in good faith devote any time and attention to this until season's end. His position doesn't seem to rule out looking at opportunities, but he is reminding people that he is in the middle of a run for a Natty and all his time and attention are focused on his current team and responsibilities. He is likely to be bumped to Assistant HC and also retain the role of Offensive Coordinator. It is claimed that OSU is working on an extension with an extremely lucrative pay raise and this bump in role for BH. He is seen as being groomed for the HC role once Day departs for the NFL, which most think is likely to happen within five years.
That's the problem going after Hartline - he's probably the next OSU HC and he bleeds scarlet & gray. I'm hoping for someone like Drink although my choices change from week to week
 

WVilleLion23

All-Conference
Oct 27, 2022
1,039
1,489
82
Yesterday showed there is not a guaranteed can’t fail coach out there. We are going to get who we get for better or for worse. If I were to guess we will be going through this again in less than 12 yrs. PSU is finally going to be like many other schools, be impatient and chasing the golden goose HC. Hope I am incorrect.
 
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Oct 13, 2025
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That's the problem going after Hartline - he's probably the next OSU HC and he bleeds scarlet & gray. I'm hoping for someone like Drink although my choices change from week to week
The assessment of Hartline is correct. I do think he feels a loyalty to Ohio State. Yes he does want to eventually be a HC. Anyone in his position does. But it has always been felt he is the HC in waiting in the future at Ohio State. When that happens is unknown. But Day isn't going to stick around forever before he tests out the NFL. When that happens is likely going to be based on an assessment of when Hartline is ready.

Personally, I do not think Hartline is ready for a HC role - at OSU or anywhere else. Putting him in that position right now might be premature and could cause some issues. He only has a season in the role of Offensive Coordinator. He has been an outstanding recruiter and developer of talent. He knows how to navigate NIL. But putting him in the HC slot at this point in time might be biting off more than he can chew. I would give him more time to shadow Day in a role as OC and assistant HC.

There is a huge difference between recruiting and calling plays and managing an entire team and everything that comes with it. The pressures are enormous, and it can break you if you are not ready to handle that kind of pressure at an elite program. When we talk OSU and Penn State, we are not talking about Appalachian State where just winning four games is considered success. Fans expect you to win every game. You get death threats when you lose. When you become a HC, the mental pressure on you just increased 100 times over. You have to be ready and able to handle that. I am not sure if Hartline is quite ready for that yet.
 
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PSU4U

All-American
Aug 6, 2019
6,487
6,793
113
I think it’s going to be Drinkwitz. He isn’t a SH|T. SHOW. o_O , he’s relatively affordable, and the timing of his availability fits.

😞
Until Elko Brohm or Key explicitly tell Kraft no way nobody is getting hired. We don't know who actually tops their list. At some point someone will say yes and Kraft will accept. Who that power 4 coach is we have no idea at this point. So far as anyone knows the only person to say no has been Cignetti.
 

LMTLION

All-Conference
Mar 20, 2008
642
1,078
92
I think it’s going to be Drinkwitz. He isn’t a SH|T. SHOW. o_O , he’s relatively affordable, and the timing of his availability fits.

😞
I think he has to be the frontrunner at this point because of the availability. But also, in Kraft’s own words, the next coach has to be a motivational leader with qualities like excellent player development, willingness to hit the portal, high level recruitment, and NIL experience. He meets all those requirements. He just doesn’t win big games, just like Franklin. I still think Diaz and Brohm are up there as well. They were both the same coaches before their previous game and one game should not matter, but both had truly awful losses while they are likely under Kraft’s microscope. And I just cannot see Brohm leaving his alma mater.
 

DaytonRickster

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
1,695
1,876
113
That's the problem going after Hartline - he's probably the next OSU HC and he bleeds scarlet & gray. I'm hoping for someone like Drink although my choices change from week to week
I'm holding at Chesney or Brohm followed by Key, Drink, and Lea.
 

NoSoup4U

Senior
Jan 17, 2002
591
840
93
So watching NFL today, whats to say an NFL coordinator/assistants wouldn't be interested? Not Talking Brady but maybe someone with PA ties, someone that was a former NFL Head coach?

Mike Pettine would be an interesting name to say the least

this job has to pay more than what hes getting, he has to have some sense of players coming in and out due to free agency and team moves which the portal seems to have become

yeah he's been away from it for awhile in terms of recruiting but he has to be able to asses talent right? so he gets some assistants from the college ranks to fill that void?
 

DaytonRickster

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
1,695
1,876
113
The assessment of Hartline is correct. I do think he feels a loyalty to Ohio State. Yes he does want to eventually be a HC. Anyone in his position does. But it has always been felt he is the HC in waiting in the future at Ohio State. When that happens is unknown. But Day isn't going to stick around forever before he tests out the NFL. When that happens is likely going to be based on an assessment of when Hartline is ready.

Personally, I do not think Hartline is ready for a HC role - at OSU or anywhere else. Putting him in that position right now might be premature and could cause some issues. He only has a season in the role of Offensive Coordinator. He has been an outstanding recruiter and developer of talent. He knows how to navigate NIL. But putting him in the HC slot at this point in time might be biting off more than he can chew. I would give him more time to shadow Day in a role as OC and assistant HC.

There is a huge difference between recruiting and calling plays and managing an entire team and everything that comes with it. The pressures are enormous, and it can break you if you are not ready to handle that kind of pressure at an elite program. When we talk OSU and Penn State, we are not talking about Appalachian State where just winning four games is considered success. Fans expect you to win every game. You get death threats when you lose. When you become a HC, the mental pressure on you just increased 100 times over. You have to be ready and able to handle that. I am not sure if Hartline is quite ready for that yet.
I think the next OSU HC will be either Marcus Freeman or Hartline. Hartline is a Buckeye.
So watching NFL today, whats to say an NFL coordinator/assistants wouldn't be interested? Not Talking Brady but maybe someone with PA ties, someone that was a former NFL Head coach?

Mike Pettine would be an interesting name to say the least

this job has to pay more than what hes getting, he has to have some sense of players coming in and out due to free agency and team moves which the portal seems to have become

yeah he's been away from it for awhile in terms of recruiting but he has to be able to asses talent right? so he gets some assistants from the college ranks to fill that void?
Now that is thinking outside the box. Excellent suggestion. Pass that on to Kraft. I wonder if Pettine would be interested; how old is he?
 
Oct 13, 2025
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I think the next OSU HC will be either Marcus Freeman or Hartline. Hartline is a Buckeye.

Now that is thinking outside the box. Excellent suggestion. Pass that on to Kraft. I wonder if Pettine would be interested; how old is he?
My opinion all along has been that Penn State's next coach ends up being someone that nobody is currently focusing on or discussing.
 
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WSTLion87

All-Conference
Oct 10, 2021
807
1,737
93
One season doesn't make a resume....please explain your angst and reason other than his record at NW.
No problem... Well in his 17 seasons at NW he was 1-9 vs Michigan and 0-9 vs Ohio State. We just fired a coach who had staggeringly similar (but better) numbers. Why do we want to go back into that direction? Not speaking for the rest of the fanbase but I would prefer to see PSU get to elite status. Also, although cleared of wrongdoing and it was a shame that he was accused of that hazing with the players at NW his appointment would be met with fierce opposition and controversy from the first hour. If he wants to coach again I wish him the best. I hope he is successful in his future endeavors. IMHO- It's just better for all involved that he coach elsewhere.
 
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