Penn State coaching candidates: Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti among options to replace James Franklin

In a stunning turn of events after Penn State opened the season as a perceived national championship contender, the Nittany Lions fired coach James Franklin on Sunday. Three consecutive losses, including two to Big Ten bottom-dwellers UCLA and Northwestern, prompted Penn State to make the biggest move thus far on the 2025 coaching carousel.

The Franklin era is done after 12 years, across which Penn State reached the College Football Playoff once, won three New Year's Six bowl games and was a perennial top 10 team. It goes without saying that the Nittany Lions coaching job is one of the best in college football, and with its high-profile nature comes a lengthy list of premium options to replace Franklin.

The next Penn State coach will be tasked with achieving what Franklin could not -- that is regularly getting past the Big Ten's elites and winning a national championship. Franklin was often criticized for his record in the biggest games. He lost his final 15 games against teams ranked in the top six of the AP Top 25 poll and consistently ran into trouble against the likes of perennial conference title contenders Ohio State, Michigan and, recently, Oregon.

Penn State's next coach will inherit a rock-solid foundation. This is a traditional powerhouse and one of the strongest programs in one of the top two conferences. But it has been 40 years since the Nittany Lions last won a national championship, and Franklin's successor will face expectations that have proven to be unattainably high for decades.

The Nittany Lions figure to have their choice of a bevy of established winners and rising stars. Here are some of those potential candidates to monitor -- according to our CBS Sports college football insiders -- as Penn State seeks to fill a colossal opening.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule

Matt Rhule is the definition of a program builder. He pulled both Temple and Baylor out of the mud and promptly turned them into conference championship contenders, and he is on track to do the same at Nebraska as he holds a 5-1 record halfway through Year 3 with the Cornhuskers. Rhule has a blueprint for elevating teams' ceilings and executed it at each of his college stops.

What's more, Rhule is a former Penn State linebacker with extensive ties to the region. The State College, Pennsylvania, native opened his coaching career in 1988 as a volunteer assistant with the Nittany Lions, and he got his start as a head coach at nearby Temple. Rhule's résumé suggests he may be ready for a job of this stature, and his background with the school makes him an obvious fit.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti

Curt Cignetti is among the hottest names in the coaching industry through a year and a half at Indiana. He is on a steep upward trajectory after debuting as a head coach in 2011 at the Division II level and, as he is known to point out, wins everywhere he goes. If the 136-37 record does not speak for itself, what about his ability to turn Indiana into a perennial playoff team? If he could go 17-2 to start his Hoosiers tenure, think about what he could accomplish at a school with even more resources and tradition.

The geographic fit could not be much better, either. Cignetti is a Pittsburgh native who spent much of his coaching career in the state of Pennsylvania.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell

It would not be a coaching carousel cycle without Matt Campell hearing his name floated as a candidate for a big-time job. He is a mainstay on hot boards, particularly in the Big Ten, but has yet to leave Iowa State amid a terrific decade-long run. Campbell is responsible for essentially all of the best seasons in Cyclones history and is fresh off his second trip to the Big 12 title game. He redefined the ceiling of Iowa State football and could do the same at Penn State if given the opportunity.

The failure to develop QB Drew Allar sealed James Franklin's fate at Penn State

Brian Dohn

Duke coach Manny Diaz

It was just two years ago that Manny Diaz was an integral part of the Penn State coaching staff. He built a pair of outstanding units as the Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator and in 2023 was a Broyles Award semifinalist in that role. Diaz's head coaching background is a bit of a mixed bag as he struggled to get Miami off the ground from 2019-21 but has Duke playing great football through one and a half seasons with the Blue Devils. The familiarity factor, as well as the proven schematic and recruiting ability at Penn State, could earn him another stint in Happy Valley.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold

Lance Leipold was a home-run hire for Kansas and had his name floated for bigger jobs as a result of his impressive run with the Jayhawks. Kansas was arguably the most downtrodden power conference program when he took the job but it is now far more respectable and has been competitive against the rest of the Big 12 throughout Leipold's tenure, peaking in 2023 with a nine-win season.

The ability to win at multiple levels makes Leipold a highly respected name in the industry. Six Division III national championships, two MAC Championship Game appearances at Buffalo and a good run at Kansas is quite the track record and one that should eventually earn him a look at a top program.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea

Penn State is no stranger to the Vanderbilt pipeline. It plucked Franklin out of Nashville after his historic three-year run with the Commodores, so it is only natural for the latest Vanderbilt coaching prodigy to emerge as a name to watch. Clark Lea is Vanderbilt's most successful coach since Franklin and has the program on pace for one of its best campaigns of all time -- one year after delivering its first winning season since Franklin's 9-4 year in 2013. Perhaps Franklin's shortcomings are too fresh for Penn State to consider hiring another Vanderbilt coach. But Lea is a terrific candidate who is quickly earning a look at a premier program.

UNLV coach Dan Mullen

Things ended poorly at Florida, but Dan Mullen hit the double-digit win mark with the Gators twice in four years and guided them to an SEC East crown in 2020. He also accounted for four of the 10 best seasons in Mississippi State history. And after three years away from the sidelines, Mullen is back and hit the ground running in his return to coaching with a 6-0 start at UNLV. Mullen is a Pennsylvania native with enough qualifications to get back into a Power Four program. The Nittany Lions might make the call.

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