CBS Puts Kansas HC Lance Leipold on Short List of Penn State Candidates

After an excellent 2023 campaign in which the Kansas Jayhawks finished 9-4 with a bowl victory, things have been trending downward in Lawrence for head coach Lance Leipold.

KU entered last season expected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 but failed to reach bowl eligibility, and that could be the case again in 2025 as the Jayhawks sit at 4-4 with four regular season games remaining.

Despite that and the fact that many fans have been calling for Leipold's job in recent weeks, it doesn't mean he isn't a respected name in the coaching carousel. CBS Sports analysts Carter Bahns and Cody Nagel recently created a list of eight potential candidates to succeed James Franklin at Penn State after his firing, and Leipold's name was among them.

"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," they wrote. "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."

Lance Leipold to Penn State? We Doubt It

The obvious connection between Leipold and Penn State is that former KU offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki currently runs the offense for the Nittany Lions. Kotelnicki spent time with Leipold at Wisconsin-Whitewater, followed him to Buffalo, and eventually to Kansas before departing for Happy Valley.

Even with that connection, there have been other jobs in past years that Leipold likely would have been better suited for. He was in the conversation for the Wisconsin and Nebraska positions a few years back, and many believe he came close to taking the Washington job before it hired Jedd Fisch.

However, he stuck through it all with the Jayhawks and is now in his fifth year at the helm in Lawrence after signing an amended contract in February 2024.

There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding who Penn State will hire as its next head coach, especially after supposed top candidates Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule signed extensions with their respective schools to rule them out for PSU.

Leipold has been linked to nearly every major opening in college football at this point, and that will continue to be the case considering the number of big programs that will need to make a hire this offseason. Still, there is no real indication that these rumors hold much weight.