Joel Klatt suggests Pat Kraft begin Penn State coaching search with Nick Saban

Penn State opened its head coaching job last weekend with their firing of James Franklin, with multiple hot boards of coaching candidates since being released for the Nittany Lions. However, of all the names they could consider, Joel Klatt said the biggest one yet – Nick Saban.

Klatt named Saban as someone that Penn State should call in their coaching search while on ‘The Herd’. He thinks that the Nittany Lions need to go for it in this process, and that means starting with the biggest and best name they could and going from there up in University Park.

“Well, I think that Pat Kraft, the athletic director at Penn State, is going to take a big swing. I don’t think that anybody is off of his list, to be quite honest with you,” Klatt said. “If I was Pat Kraft, I would start with the biggest swing possible. I know this sounds crazy, but I think the first call I would make is Nick Saban. And, just like, just make sure that that’s not going to happen, and then you start going down the list of the other coaches in the country. I would be swinging for the fences if I was Pat Kraft.”

Saban retired nearly two years ago after one of the greatest coaching careers in the history of college football, going 297-71-1 (.806) overall at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, and Alabama, and with seven national titles won while with the Tigers and the Crimson Tide. He has, since leaving the sideline, taken a seat at the desk with ‘College GameDay.’ Still, through two coaching cycles in two seasons post-retirement, Saban often comes up as an option to return to the sport, regardless of likely it may or may not be.

A ton of coaches are going to be considered or rumored for the job, especially with several more weeks likely until a hire is made, when it comes to Penn State. Still, to Klatt, Saban should be the first phone call by the Nittany Lions, even if it is just for him to tell them no.

Klatt further considers options, job at Penn State

Klatt wanted Penn State to consider some of the best coaches in the sport as far as its search. He named three sitting head coaches who went to the College Football Playoff last year in Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, as well as Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, before his extension was signed yesterday

“I think Dan Lanning would get a call, and I think Marcus Freeman would get a call,” Klatt said. “Now, would Freeman leave Notre Dame? I’m not sure. He just went to the national championship. You know, I’m sure he feels like he can build something special. Is Penn State a better job than Notre Dame? I don’t think it is, personally. But, that’s a call I would make if I was Pat Kraft.”

Regardless, though, Klatt says this is no time to be shy at Penn State. He thinks the Nittany Lions could be the best opportunity on the market this offseason, and they could only be one hire away from taking that next step that they’ve wanted to as a program.

“Again, this is a good job. I don’t know if it is a great job in college football. But, in this cycle, it’s probably going to be the best job available,” Klatt said. “Even if Florida were to come open if they make a move off of Billy Napier, even if Florida State, you know, went south and Mike Norvell was let go at Florida State, whatever happens with Wisconsin? You know, even if Brian Kelly were to, you know, somehow take a nosedive with LSU, beginning, like, let’s say this week? I’m not sure that any of those jobs – maybe LSU is. But Penn State is set up perfectly. You brought up the investment into the stadium. They’re willing to pay the money to James Franklin to buy him out. They’ve got support, and they’ve got an athletic director that’s willing to win.”