A heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Oregon in the White Out game, followed by inexplicable defeats to a winless UCLA squad and a Northwestern team that hadn’t sniffed relevance in years, plunged Penn State into chaos.
On Oct. 12, athletic director Pat Kraft pulled the trigger, firing head coach James Franklin after 11-plus seasons that delivered 104 wins, a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff semifinal berth.
As whispers of a national search swirled, names like Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti floated to the top, and the question loomed larger than ever: How attractive is this job, really?
For a candidate eyeing the throne in Happy Valley, the calculus is complex.
- Compensation and perks: A-
While the exact contract for the next coach hasn’t been inked, precedent suggests it will be very competitive: Franklin’s extension paid him $8.5 million annually through 2031.
The school’s messaging around “elite-level resources” also signals that compensation for assistants, recruiting budgets, NIL and portal resources will be hefty. For a head coach candidate, this means that the pay and perks will be among the best in the country.
Cignetti’s recently signed new contract at Indiana, which will pay him roughly $11.6 million annually, will make him the third-highest paid coach in college football. It was likely a preemptive move to retain him while he was considered one of the top names for Penn State’s opening, but also provides insight into the range the Nittany Lions will likely be offering to candidates.
- Institutional commitment and resources: A-
In the 2024 fiscal year — the most recent data available — Penn State Athletics generated a record $220.7 million in revenue, with football accounting for over half at $113.2 million, including about $48 million from media rights and distributions.
Among public schools in the Big Ten, Penn State ranks third behind Ohio State ($254.9 million) and Michigan ($238.9 million), and slightly ahead of Nebraska ($220.2 million).
Though Northwestern and USC are private institutions and aren’t required to make data publicly available, it’s likely they don’t eclipse Penn State. Having the third most revenue in the second largest conference puts the Nittany Lions on par with the nation’s elite.
In addition to the two Big Ten schools, only Texas ($331.9 million), Texas A&M ($266.4 million), Georgia ($241.8 million), Alabama ($234.8 million) and Tennessee ($234 million) are higher nationally, placing the Nittany Lions at No. 8 in the country.
In parallel, the school’s board of trustees recently approved a major $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, with financing to be paid for entirely by athletics.
Franklin’s lofty buyout, clocking in at a staggering $48.6 million, the second-highest ever behind Texas A&M’s payout to Jimbo Fisher, also illustrated the lengths the program will go to reach the next level on the gridiron.
All this suggests the university views football as a major enterprise, is willing to invest and is not treating the next coach as someone who must build from the ground up. Kraft has been explicit: the next coach will have “elite-level resources.”
- Program history and expectations: B-
When considering program history and expectations, this opening is intriguing. Penn State has a storied football tradition, iconic stadium, passionate fan base and credible recent success.
Franklin accumulated a record of 104-45, tied for second-most wins in school history, and in 2024 the program went 13-3 and made the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Sustained success across decades and with multiple head coaches (Rip Engle, Joe Paterno, Franklin) indicate the program’s success isn’t the result of one coach, but rather the institution itself.
Yet with that comes heightened expectations. The administration is aiming for not just good seasons but Big Ten championships and national title contention. The next head coach won’t be judged on bowl appearances or winning seasons; the bar is to compete nationally. The double-edged sword of strong tradition but also demanding expectations makes it a high-profile job but also one with high risk.
- Path to championships: B
Penn State’s ceiling in the modern era of college football is unknown, given all the recent changes to the sport that are reshaping what it means to compete at the highest level.
But going off history, the Nittany Lions claim titles from 1982 and 1986, with several other unclaimed championships. Last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame was the closest chance in decades, fueling 2025 hype as the preseason No. 2 team.
Given the team’s financial and institutional support, which is slightly below or equal to other programs that have recently won it all, it’s assumed that championships are a possibility, though they never felt all that realistic under Franklin.
Getting past Ohio State, Michigan and ascending Oregon and Indiana programs could prove difficult, as those programs appear better poised for success in the near future.
Having only two national championships, and both coming in the same decade under the same head coach four decades ago, indicates that championships are possible, but a lot needs to go right for that to happen. It’s not fair to expect them consistently, but rather in the rare “team of destiny” years (like in 2025).
- Recruiting base: C+
The region gives Penn State access to talent in Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, which the school has done well in given a lack of national powers in the area. The biggest regional competition comes from Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and Virginia Tech, none of which pose a particularly major threat.
However, the level of talent in the region lags behind that in southern states like Florida, Georgia and Texas, or out west in California, all of which require significant travel to reach State College. While the Nittany Lions should continue to dominate the region, the level of local blue-chip recruits simply isn’t on par with other states, adding challenges to recruiting.
For all his accolades as a recruiter, Franklin only averaged roughly the 15th-best class annually, and it’s possible the next head coach isn’t as successful. And that’s after Penn State’s recruiting spending grew substantially, increasing from $840,000 in the 2021 fiscal year to $4.79 million in the most recent report.
Being in the Big Ten helps with national reach, but distance from home, cold winters and a lack of a nearby major city can deter some prospects, regardless of the school’s competitive NIL.
- Facilities and infrastructure: A-
Beaver Stadium, the second-largest college football venue, boasts a plethora of recent upgrades, including new LED lighting and a north videoboard refresh completed pre-2025.
The $700 million “Beaver Stadium Revitalization” will deliver expanded concourses, 2,000+ premium seats and a welcome center by 2027. Capacity dips to 106,304 temporarily, but revenue from suites and year-round events (Luke Combs concert, hockey games) will soar.
The Lasch Football Building is also state-of-the-art with $20 million in recent overhauls, including a high-quality weight room, hydrotherapy pools and film rooms. Nearby Holuba Hall also provides an indoor practice field.
The recently debuted Greenberg Complex features an athlete dining hall, a comprehensive suite of recovery options including hydrotherapy pools, red light beds, a hyperbaric chamber, zero-gravity chairs and saunas, study spaces and lounge areas.
For recruits and coaches, this infrastructure screams commitment. It’s not flawless (construction through 2026), but it’s a tangible signal: Penn State’s investing in its athletes.
- Conference strength: A-
The Big Ten offers strong media exposure, revenue sharing, bowl/College Football Playoff pathways and high-profile competition. That means any head coach has a platform to win at the highest level. The exposure helps recruiting, alumni engagement and national reputation, making schools within the conference more desirable.
The only conference with arguably more prestige is the SEC, which generates more average viewership and revenue, has produced 13 of the last 19 football national champions and is widely regarded as the deepest league in football and many other sports.
- Fan support: A
Penn State’s fanbase is passionate and expansive, with over 800,000 living alumni, which ranks second in the world, slightly behind Indiana. The Beaver Stadium renovation is backed in part by major philanthropic gifts, and the revenue figures show ticket sales, concessions and parking are strong.
For a coach, having that kind of backing means less of a struggle to recruit and more of an expectation to deliver, but also more resources to draw on. The caveat: With that kind of donor base comes pressure. When the fan base expects national championships, the booster class may demand quick results.
Overall: B+
Penn State consistently ranks among the nation’s elite in the major criteria for a head coaching job, with top tier fan support and resources. The major drawbacks are location, which isn’t particularly attractive to recruits or coaches, and the heavy expectations from fans and boosters that may not be realistic.
