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What They're Saying About Penn State's Puzzling Coaching Search

The national media and current and former Nittany Lions wonder where the program's search for a football coach is headed.
Chase Fisher|
A general view inside of Penn State's Beaver Stadium prior to the College Football Playoff game between the SMU Mustangs and the Penn State Nittany.
A general view inside of Penn State's Beaver Stadium prior to the College Football Playoff game between the SMU Mustangs and the Penn State Nittany. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Nearly eight weeks after Penn State fired James Franklin, the program still hasn’t hired a full-time football coach. On Tuesday, Penn State lost its reported top candidate, when BYU’s Kalani Sitake signed a long-term extension with the Cougars. 

With recruiting's early signing period starting Wednesday, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft and the Nittany Lions are in a position no one envisioned just a few months ago. And the internet is confused about that. Here’s what they’re saying about Penn State’s coaching search. 

RELATED: Where Penn State's coaching search goes now

Did Pat Kraft overeact?

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg seems to think so. The "Get Up" and Sunday NFL Countdown host said there’s a valuable lesson for Penn State to learn: “Don’t react emotionally in times of trouble.”

The national media also questions about what this process has done to Penn State's recruiting class. As of Tuesday night, Penn State has just four players committed to the 2026 class and might not sign any of them.

CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli posted about Penn State’s 2026 class, showing that it’s the lowest-ranked in the Big Ten.

Radio host Clay Travis said, “Penn State lit their entire football program on fire.”

What some current Nittany Lions are saying

Penn State players have consistently lobbied for interim head coach Terry Smith to get the full-time role. They even held up signs that read “Hire Terry Smith” after the win over Nebraska.

On Tuesday, linebacker Tony Rojas and safety King Mack took to X to say that Smith is the solution.

Former Nittany Lions weigh in

Rewind to Oct. 13, when Kraft held his press conference the day after firing Franklin. Most fans got what they wanted, and Kraft was transparent and clear about his approach.

Kraft left fans feeling confident about the search's direction when he said, "the right coach will rebuild the unity and pride that defines this historic program and they will ignite this fan base around a shared belief that we're capable of greatness and we're going to do it the right way and we are the best program in the country."

Now, not so much. Former Penn State offensive tackle Landon Tengwall said the search is "about as big of a disaster as you could possibly imagine.”

Former Nittany Lions tight end Adam Breneman express the serious expectations the next Penn State coach will face and how that could be unappealing. He said it’s a “serious issue.”

Former Penn State safety Adrian Amos added this.

And former defensive lineman Fred Hansard also advocated for Smith.

Suggestions for Penn State

National college football analyst Josh Pate has been critical of Penn State's search for a while. Earlier this week, Pate said that Penn State's search "feels lost," and that was before the Sitake news.

But Pate offered Kraft a suggestion. He said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell’s DNA “blends perfectly with what PSU needs.” He added, How are you this blind?”

Meanwhile, USA Today columnist suggested that Penn State "start from scratch" and offered a reference.

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Chase Fisher
CHASE FISHER

Chase Fisher is a student at Penn State University who has covered men's hockey and baseball for The Daily Collegian. He is covering football for Penn State on SI. Follow him on X @chase_fisher4.

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