College Football HQ

Brian Kelly among the favorites to be named coach of historic college football team

Former LSU coach Brian Kelly has a decision to make about his future amid the latest college football rumors.

Jonathan Adams

Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Brian Kelly during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Brian Kelly during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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LSU is in the early stages of a college football coaching search, but Brian Kelly also faces a decision about his future. Thanks to an estimated $54 million buyout from LSU, Kelly can afford to take some time off from coaching.

With so many appealing jobs in the college football coaching carousel, Kelly may opt to return to the sideline sooner rather than later. Kalshi's predictive markets has Kelly among the favorites to be the next coach at Penn State.

Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz is the slight favorite to land the Penn State gig with a 22% chance, per Kalshi. Kelly is listed at fifth in the Penn State odds with a 12% chance to be named the Nittany Lions coach.

Additional favorites include Louisville's Jeff Brohm (20%), Ohio State offensive coordiantor Brian Hartline (19%) and Duke's Manny Diaz (15%).

Let's explore the latest rumors on Penn State's coaching search.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is among the candidates Penn State is exploring: Report

Penn State has been dealt unfortunate news in recent weeks with Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Nebraska's Matt Rhule both signing contract extensions. While they would not be the first coaches to leave after signing an extension, it makes it much more complicated (and expensive) for Penn State to poach either Big Ten coach.

On3's Pete Nakos added two SEC coaches as additional candidates at Penn State: Texas A&M's Mike Elko and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea.

"Among the names On3 continues to hear from sources are Texas A&M’s, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Louisville’s Jeff Brohm," Nakos wrote on Monday.

"... Elko is in the midst of an 8-0 start to his second season in College Station, and his team will likely make the College Football Playoff. It would be an impressive move if Penn State were able to convince Elko to leave Texas A&M, where he has some of the top NIL resources in the country. He’s a New Jersey native and has posted a 32–14 record as an FBS head coach."

It is early, but Kelly does not appear to be Penn State's top choice. Kelly looks to be a better fit at Penn State than LSU. As more candidates bow out of the Penn State search, Kelly's chances continue to rise.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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