Former NFL coach named surprise target by Penn State to replace James Franklin

The search for Penn State to scout its next head football coach is yet to materialize in any concrete results, but one surprising name has suddenly emerged as a potential candidate to replace James Franklin in a new report this week.

Recently fired New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been named as an option that the Nittany Lions are looking into, according to a report from The Athletic.

Penn State looking into Brian Daboll

Daboll is “expected to get some consideration” for the Penn State head coaching vacancy after being relieved from his previous position, the report notes.

The former Giants head coach is also rumored to have a personal interest in taking the position, and several former NFL players that have connections to the Penn State program have put in a good word for Daboll, per the reporting.

His college experience

Daboll has left his coaching mark mostly in the NFL, winning five Super Bowl championships as an assistant, all with the New England Patriots, but secured some notable, albeit brief, success in the collegiate ranks.

He was the offensive coordinator for Alabama under head coach Nick Saban during the 2017 season when the Crimson Tide won the national championship.

During that time, Daboll coached quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, now a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, and current Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagavailoa.

Back to the NFL

From there, he became the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, helping develop star quarterback Josh Allen, and ultimately handed Bill Belichick the worst playoff loss of his career.

Coming off that success, Daboll was named the New York Giants head coach ahead of the 2022 season, initially starting off well with a 7-2 record, but a late slump resulted in a 9-7 mark.

Since then, he went 6-11 in 2023, and a 3-14 record followed in 2024, and then Daboll was ultimately relieved after starting 2-8 in 2025, finishing with a 20-40-1 overall mark.

Where Penn State is now

Penn State entered the 2025 college football season as the No. 2 team in the preseason AP top 25 poll, but those hopes quickly and dramatically spiraled after losing six-straight games and firing Franklin midway through the year.

Daboll now joins a long list of candidates that have been connected to the Penn State job, including current Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key, and even Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.

What the markets are saying

Drinkwitz currently leads the way to succeed Franklin with a 39 percent chance to take the job, according to the latest figures from the prediction market Kalshi.

That model lists Key as the second-best option at 17 percent.

(Athletic)

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