College Football HQ

$87 million championship coach surprisingly floated as Penn State candidate

There are a few consensus names being mentioned in college football rumors as the next potential Penn State coach. Find out why one insider is not ruling out Ohio State's Ryan Day or Alabama's Kalen DeBoer as candidates.
Jonathan Adams|
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar (15) react after losing to the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar (15) react after losing to the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

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Penn State continues to be the crown jewel job in the current college football coaching carousel. Rumors are swirling about who could be Penn State's next coach, but there may be some surprise candidates along the way.

The Nittany Lions could turn to fellow Big Ten foes in Indiana's Curt Cignetti or Nebraska's Matt Rhule, just two of the names being linked to Happy Valley. Yet, Penn State could also have their eyes on some even bigger fish.

ESPN's Heather Dinich floated Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State's Ryan Day as two potential names who should not be ruled out at Penn State.

"Is Kalen DeBoer happy at Alabama at the end of the season?" Dinich noted during an interview on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday. " I mean, Dan Lanning's probably pretty set at Oregon.

"How happy is Ryan Day? I don't know the answer to all these questions. Would they leave? Would they leave? Right, that's part of the question."

The Case for Ryan Day Leaving Ohio State for Penn State

The obvious question is why Day would leave Ohio State for Penn State, especially after a recent national title run. It has been well documented how much pressure Day has been under at Ohio State.

Day's family experienced hardship following Ohio State's loss to Michigan in 2024. The challenge is Penn State is not exactly a job without pressure.

Fans just witnessed Penn State surprisingly cut ties with James Franklin just one season removed from a College Football Playoff run. After the Buckeyes' national title, Day signed a seven-year, $87.5 million contract extension, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Penn State has 'all the money in the world' to hire the team's next coach: Insider

Penn State's chances of poaching Day away from Columbus appear to be extremely low, unless the Buckeyes' season ends in disaster. The bigger point is that Penn State is going to at least kick the tires on some bigger names.

"I would not rule out anyone at this point," Dinich explained. "Wide net, no rush to make (a decision). All the money in the world to do it."

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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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