Next coaching candidates

Frank Lee said:
Any football guy will do. Sitake, Hartline, etc. Franklin was a poser who talked up his roster and coaches but didn't deliver. His press conferences were a sham. I think authenticity from both AD and head coach is critical at this juncture.
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The reality is setting in that Kraft is not in a pickle, but has created a complete disaster. We will get a coach that can not bring recruits so we will have very few if any, a coach no one has any real reason to believe can do any better than Franklin, and at this point, fans should assume PSU will lose the majority of their games in 2026. Losses will be another hurdle in building for 2027. This will be a 3 year setback at least.

Even Maryland is smart enough to keep Locksley because any other coach will be a step backward (for what they can afford and who is available). Same with FSU.

And as good a coach as someone may be, the players win and lose, and we have no players at this point. Kraft is truly a disgrace firing a guy with no freaking plan on how to upgrade. The other schools grabbed as quickly as they could. We are the only one left and we are holding the bag.

Kraft is the one that should have been fired, but he will be in 2027.
 
Sheriff Coffee said:
I feel like Pat Kraft is in a pickle. The problem is, by firing a coach who made it to the semi-finals the year before, the only measure of success if to be in the championship game. The expectations, the definition of success, are just too high. Even at LSU, success is competing for and winning an SEC championship. Being in the Natty playoff is just gravy.

So there is nobody out there that really fits in terms of career aspirations and long term employment. Diaz is the only one that has experience and may want a better program to work with. Chesney has very little experience at this level. Hartline sounds good but he is a tOSU guy through and through. The BYU guy has no experience in this footprint. I think it is clear they aren’t hiring Terry.

I just don’t know where Kraft goes at this point.
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PSU has been a model of coaching staff stability. I don't know why coaches don't value this more. Franklin was given over a decade and wasn't fired because he didn't get to a national championship game. He was fired because

1) He gave up. After Oregon he simply gave up. We lost to 2 teams solidly in the bottom of conference because he didn't have the mental toughness to bounce back from his first lost (this has been an issue throughout his tenure).

2) He lost the locker room. There is zero doubt.

3) His record against the top teams has become the punchline of a joke. There is no logical or rational way to defend it. It isn't bad luck. The data is overwhelming. This is who Franklin is now.

4) He was out for himself. Every offseason it seems was an opportunity to shake his employer down. His locker room seemed to reflect this attitude this year.

5) Penn State would not have survived another home game with Franklin at the helm. It was already brutal. That is not good for any program or fanbase.

6) It wasn't so much that we disappointed this season as it was how badly we did. PSU now holds records for teams ranked at the top of the polls at the start of the season and then the massive underperformance that followed.

EVERY potential coach out there knows this and knows that PSU has been the gold standard in coaching stability up until this point. They know Franklin had to go and they know that he was given over a decade. If I'm a top candidate, I see elite level resources and the history of coaching stability and know that I can be a long-term success at PSU.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
PSU has been a model of coaching staff stability. I don't know why coaches don't value this more. Franklin was given over a decade and wasn't fired because he didn't get to a national championship game. He was fired because

1) He gave up. After Oregon he simply gave up. We lost to 2 teams solidly in the bottom of conference because he didn't have the mental toughness to bounce back from his first lost (this has been an issue throughout his tenure).

2) He lost the locker room. There is zero doubt.

3) His record against the top teams has become the punchline of a joke. There is no logical or rational way to defend it. It isn't bad luck. The data is overwhelming. This is who Franklin is now.

4) He was out for himself. Every offseason it seems was an opportunity to shake his employer down. His locker room seemed to reflect this attitude this year.

5) Penn State would not have survived another home game with Franklin at the helm. It was already brutal. That is not good for any program or fanbase.

6) It wasn't so much that we disappointed this season as it was how badly we did. PSU now holds records for teams ranked at the top of the polls at the start of the season and then the massive underperformance that followed.

EVERY potential coach out there knows this and knows that PSU has been the gold standard in coaching stability up until this point. They know Franklin had to go and they know that he was given over a decade. If I'm a top candidate, I see elite level resources and the history of coaching stability and know that I can be a long-term success at PSU.
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All might be true, but think the horror of it is an exaggeration based on VA Tech laying the lumber for him (even understanding expectations are different). The new coach will have less than a month to assemble his staff and try to stop the recruit bleeding while looking for player to even field a team next year. That person needs to be hired by Wednesday in my opinion or it's a guaranteed horrid season (3-4 wins). Who would want to take a job knowing there is very little you can do to not go less than .500 in year one. Your immediately on the hot seat in 2027.

I'm not saying Franklin shouldn't have been let go, but without a plan and Kraft parading around like PSU is God's gift and the coaches will line up is a huge mistake. It will be a disaster. You might be fine sucking for the next 3 years, I am not.
 
PSU Blue said:
The reality is setting in that Kraft is not in a pickle, but has created a complete disaster. We will get a coach that can not bring recruits so we will have very few if any, a coach no one has any real reason to believe can do any better than Franklin, and at this point, fans should assume PSU will lose the majority of their games in 2026. Losses will be another hurdle in building for 2027. This will be a 3 year setback at least.

Even Maryland is smart enough to keep Locksley because any other coach will be a step backward (for what they can afford and who is available). Same with FSU.

And as good a coach as someone may be, the players win and lose, and we have no players at this point. Kraft is truly a disgrace firing a guy with no freaking plan on how to upgrade. The other schools grabbed as quickly as they could. We are the only one left and we are holding the bag.

Kraft is the one that should have been fired, but he will be in 2027.
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Chicken little much?

Dude, get a grip. Franklin had to be fired. Terry slowed the bleeding. If PSU hires the right guy, they will be back much sooner than your doomsday scenario. INDIANIA (no joke), INDIANA hired the right guy and is undefeated and a multiple time playoff contender within 2 seasons. Indiana has zero football history and not even half of the resources that PSU has.

We are going to go heavy on the portal for 2026. But that 2026 schedule is extremely manageable for a new staff.

@ 5-7 Temple
5-7 Buffalo
@ 4-8 Maryland
@ #15 9-3 Michigan
@ 6-6 Northwestern
7-5 Minnesota
2-10 Purdue
5-7 Rutgers
#17 9-3 USC
4-8 Wisconsin
@ 8-4 Washington

No Ohio St. No Indiana. No Oregon. Not even Iowa or Illinois.

This schedule is tailor made for a new coach to ease into things.
 
TheNewBoss said:
Bob Chesney to UCLA all over "X".
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Yep, this is what I mean. Better to bring him in and allow him to start working on the rebuild. The fact that Kraft had a relaxing Thanksgiving while the brand sinks like a rock (at an embarrassing pace) and allowing those that support the brand to continue to suffer is sickening.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
Chicken little much?

Dude, get a grip. Franklin had to be fired. Terry slowed the bleeding. If PSU hires the right guy, they will be back much sooner than your doomsday scenario. INDIANIA (no joke), INDIANA hired the right guy and is undefeated and a multiple time playoff contender within 2 seasons. Indiana has zero football history and not even half of the resources that PSU has.

We are going to go heavy on the portal for 2026. But that 2026 schedule is extremely manageable for a new staff.

@ 5-7 Temple
5-7 Buffalo
@ 4-8 Maryland
@ #15 9-3 Michigan
@ 6-6 Northwestern
7-5 Minnesota
2-10 Purdue
5-7 Rutgers
#17 9-3 USC
4-8 Wisconsin
@ 8-4 Washington

No Ohio St. No Indiana. No Oregon. Not even Iowa or Illinois.

This schedule is tailor made for a new coach to ease into things.
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I'm not saying that at all, but every AD made decisive decisions quickly. We look like clowns nationally, no one of great value wants to coach, and I disagree with you. Every day after this week will make it tougher. Everyone has raided our recruits because they are in the dark, as are the current players. You'll see. A freaking disaster.
 
LudicrousSpeedGO! said:
Chicken little much?

Dude, get a grip. Franklin had to be fired. Terry slowed the bleeding. If PSU hires the right guy, they will be back much sooner than your doomsday scenario. INDIANIA (no joke), INDIANA hired the right guy and is undefeated and a multiple time playoff contender within 2 seasons. Indiana has zero football history and not even half of the resources that PSU has.

We are going to go heavy on the portal for 2026. But that 2026 schedule is extremely manageable for a new staff.

@ 5-7 Temple
5-7 Buffalo
@ 4-8 Maryland
@ #15 9-3 Michigan
@ 6-6 Northwestern
7-5 Minnesota
2-10 Purdue
5-7 Rutgers
#17 9-3 USC
4-8 Wisconsin
@ 8-4 Washington

No Ohio St. No Indiana. No Oregon. Not even Iowa or Illinois.

This schedule is tailor made for a new coach to ease into things.
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Kraft must have the money and a plan in place to build the roster. Keep the TEs, QB, the young RBs and WRs, and a few others, but don't go cheap on fixing both sides of the trenches and at LB.
 
Frank Lee said:
Kraft must have the money and a plan in place to build the roster. Keep the TEs, QB, the young RBs and WRs, and a few others, but don't go cheap on fixing both sides of the trenches and at LB.
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Sure, that's the unknown variable. But do you think PSU has gone from late teens in NIL funds to top 5 in a year? I'd bet against it but have no idea. And then we might have an FSU light team, everyone getting paid, many going pro, none really give a $hit about week to week.
 
PSU Blue said:
Sure, that's the unknown variable. But do you think PSU has gone from late teens in NIL funds to top 5 in a year? I'd bet against it but have no idea. And then we might have an FSU light team, everyone getting paid, many going pro, none really give a $hit about week to week.
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Ramp up the spending for the first year and ratchet it down each subsequent year. You gotta spend money to make money. Spending it moreso on the trenches and at LB will keep the team in the game while making the youngsters at the skill positions look like All-Americans.
 
I really believe believe at this point it will be Sitake. No, not because of that stupid betting place everyone has been talking about.

I'd take Hartline at this point. Hell bring in dabol. We need a **** coach ffs.
 
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Pennstate_one said:
I really believe believe at this point it will be Sitake. No, not because of that stupid betting place everyone has been talking about.
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It would be a good choice. A football guy. Tough teams with decent QBs and offenses. His salary would be close to doubling. If he brings some of those big islanders with him to block and tackle, then that would be a big help. There's an established LDS community in State College, along with Cael. It's gets cold in Provo too but it has way more sunshine and majestic views. The hiking and trout fishing could be reasonable substitutes in PA. Let's go with Sitake and call it a day.
 
PSU Blue said:
The reality is setting in that Kraft is not in a pickle, but has created a complete disaster. We will get a coach that can not bring recruits so we will have very few if any, a coach no one has any real reason to believe can do any better than Franklin, and at this point, fans should assume PSU will lose the majority of their games in 2026. Losses will be another hurdle in building for 2027. This will be a 3 year setback at least.

Even Maryland is smart enough to keep Locksley because any other coach will be a step backward (for what they can afford and who is available). Same with FSU.

And as good a coach as someone may be, the players win and lose, and we have no players at this point. Kraft is truly a disgrace firing a guy with no freaking plan on how to upgrade. The other schools grabbed as quickly as they could. We are the only one left and we are holding the bag.

Kraft is the one that should have been fired, but he will be in 2027.
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Why do you believe the sky is falling when pretty much nothing has been revealed about who the real candidates were and now are?

This change was always going to bomb the 2026 recruiting class. It’s about getting a coach better than Franklin and moving on from there.
 
PSU Blue said:
Anyone want to be the house and take a bet of getting to the semi's on or before 2028, let me know.
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No, I’ll take the bet that after building his roster he beats OSU and UM more often than Franklin. And also gets to the semi’s faster than Franklin. Franklin wasn’t getting back to the semi’s by 2028 either.
 
GregInPitt said:
Why do you believe the sky is falling when pretty much nothing has been revealed about who the real candidates were and now are?

This change was always going to bomb the 2026 recruiting class. It’s about getting a coach better than Franklin and moving on from there.
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Because I just disagree, it appears, from the outside, that things aren't very organized. If they could have hired someone 30 days after the firing, I believe the 2026 class would have been saved, not bombed. Just a different opinion I guess. They had plenty of time to make a huge offer to a big, but maybe they aren't looking for a huge offer and subsequent big splash. I respectfully disagree based on our brand over the last 2-3 years. So I think the class could have been saved. VA Tech will have a top 20 class, as will MOST of the teams that just fired their coach and hired another. So LSU is a giant compared to PSU?
 
GregInPitt said:
No, I’ll take the bet that after building his roster he beats OSU and UM more often than Franklin. And also gets to the semi’s faster than Franklin. Franklin wasn’t getting back to the semi’s by 2028 either.
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Again, I won't agree or disagree until I see. He won't beat squat without similar players, that I know.
 
There's nothing really odd about Sitake coming to State College. It's a business and NIL has now made it for the players to relocate nationwide as well. You go where the paychecks are.
 
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