Penn State Braces for Significant Change in December

With their regular season over, the Nittany Lions enter December with a list of unanswered questions.

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith is congratulated by athletic director Pat Kraft following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

You have questions about Penn State. So do the Nittany Lions, who begin December uncertain about their next coach or even their next team.

"Like we talk about in the locker room, it’s just attacking adversity," Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer said after a 40-36 win over Rutgers. "It's just been tough this season, unknowns pretty much every week. So this week especially will be more challenging, just with seeing what happens. But I think it's just taking it day by day and not taking it for granted."

Though the Nittany Lions have one game remaining, their 2026 season, wherever that may be, starts now. Here's a look at the major points of emphasis, timelines and, yes, who the next coach might be.

RELATED: After a win over Rutgers, Penn State anxiously waits on its future

What's up with Penn State's coaching search?

so when we gonna know our coach?? 🤦🏽‍♂️

— Tony Rojas (@Tony_Rojas5) November 30, 2025

Penn State linebacker tony Rojas asked the question Sunday night on everyone's minds. Penn State enters Week 8 of its search after firing James Franklin, who already is recruiting his former commits to Blacksburg (more on that later). Only the UCLA job has been open longer.

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft promised a national search Oct. 12, though he never set a timeline. Kraft also has kept his search process to a limited circle and out of public view, unlike the SEC openings that were closed Sunday.

Regarding candidates, Alabama's Kalen DeBoer ostensibly remains on Penn State's radar, though the Tide will play Georgia for the SEC title Saturday. National media have downplayed or outright dismissed DeBoer's Penn State candidacy. On the most recent episode of The Audible podcast, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman said that DeBoer to Penn State is unlikely.

Elsewhere, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported that James Madison's Bob Chesney is a "top person of interest" for the UCLA opening. Meanwhile, Louisville's Jeff Brohm and Georgia Tech's Brent Key remain quiet candidates for the job.

Then this weekend, another coach was connected to Penn State. BYU's Kalani Sitake jumped to the top of Kalshi's futures market, staking a 28-percent chance at one point to take the job. Sitake would be unique candidate at Penn State.

He has spent most of his playing and coaching career in Utah. Sitake played at BYU, spent 12 seasons on staffs at Southern Utah and Utah and has been BYU's head coach since 2016. He wins there, certainly. Sitake's team has won 22 games the past two seasons and brings an 11-1 record to the Big 12 title game.

Sitake is highly respected in the coaching community and has built a superb program at BYU. But how would that translate at Penn State, and would either party want join forces in that transition?

Meanwhile, Penn State interim coach Terry Smith took a more subdued tone during his post-game press conference at Rutgers. "It's been a good run for me," Smith said when asked about the past seven weeks.

Smith's answer was telling. The wait continues.

How will Penn State approach the early signing period?

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith is congratulated by athletic director Pat Kraft following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The early signing period begins Dec. 3, when players can sign contracts for a three-day period. Penn State has yet to schedule any sort of Signing Day ceremony, an annual promotional show under Franklin. Probably because the program has few commits signing.

As of Sunday night, seven players remained committed to Penn State's 2026 class, according to 247Sports. Eighteen players have decommitted from the class so far, with four headed to Virginia Tech with Franklin and three going to North Carolina.

Unless Penn State gets a coach into place this week, the program is likely to forgo a 2026 recruiting class in favor of rebuilding the roster through the transfer portal. If a coach is announced by Wednesday, he potentially could convince recruits to pause signing until February's regular period. However, that won't work for players who want to enroll in January.

When can Penn State players enter the transfer portal?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Terry Smith looks on from the sideline during the second quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State players can enter the NCAA Transfer Portal officially when it opens Jan. 2. That's true even if Penn State hires a coach in December. However, players can announce plans to enter the portal at any time. It's possible some could begin declaring their plans publicly during the first week of December.

It's unclear how Penn State's lengthy search will impact players' decisions. Some certainly have made their decisions already. Many others, though, want to know who the new coach will be and how they'll fit into the system. Grunkemeyer is among them.

"I just really want to sit down with him and see what the plan is," the quarterback said. "Just talk to him about my future and what he sees me doing and just seeing what he does as a coach and how we can develop that way."

Linebacker Amare Campbell, who has been the team's defensive MVP this season, said he intends to wait until a new coach is announced as well. Campbell is familiar with coaching transitions, having transferred to Penn State from North Carolina after Bill Belichick was hired this past offseason.

"We have a big question in who our head coach is going to be," Campbell said. "That’s a big thing for me, seeing who that guy is, seeing who he retains, seeing who our coordinator is. That’s what I’m looking for in the future."

Campbell also said that the decision could be easier if defensive coordinator Jim Knowles remains on staff. "Obviously, the familiarity of him being here, and me being here this season and me understanding his defense, definitely plays a huge role in that."

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.