$370M ESTIMATION – Penn State's Coaching Search Has Netted College Football Coaches Around The Country An Estimated $370M In Extensions
Aw, shucks. Put the cart before the horse now did we, Penn State? They made such a quick, strong, decisive decision in firing James Franklin too. They did exactly what college football sickos across the country wanted them to do too. They fired an elite college football coach coming off 3 straight 10+ win season because he couldn't win "the big one". Fired him nice and early in the season too so they could get a head start over evvvverybody else in college football on their coaching search. With that much time, at a premier program like Penn State, they should have no problem landing the best coach available.
Aw, damn. I'm not exactly sure how Penn State has found themselves in this position. In a position where on National Signing Day, they're being trolled by FCS conference's official Twitter accounts for being beneath McNeese State in the national recruiting rankings.
There's a rumor that college football super agent Jimmy Sexton was so enraged by Penn State's firing of his client, that he's been sabotaging their search by bad mouthing their program to his clients. Which is apparently half of college football.
Personally, I feel like that would make him a horrible agent. I can't think of anything that would cause me fire my agent faster than learning he was keeping a $100M job away from me over a personal grudge. But it certainly wouldn't be the pettiest thing to ever happen in college football.
Despite their current struggles, one thing Penn State fans can take solace in, despite not hiring a single coach in nearly 2 months since firing James Franklin, is they they helped make A LOT of college football coaches very wealthy men. Nobody in college football has stimulated the economy more so than Penn State this season (numbers/estimates come from On3.com)
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It started with Curt Cignetti. Penn State's alleged #1 target. Coach Cig took all of 5 minutes before parlaying the Penn State job opening to an 8-year, $92.8M extension.
Next was Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. A Penn State alum, who truthfully, has been kind of disappointing at Nebraska. I'm not even sure Penn State fans wanted him. But the rumor of Matt Rhule to Penn State was enough to earn him a bonus $25M. $25M so he can hopefully coach well enough that he's not assault at gas stations in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Next it was Mike Elko of Texas A&M. I wouldn't have expected the Texas A&M head coach to leave for Penn State. They seem like pretty similar jobs if you ask me. But on the off-chance Elko would accept, Texas A&M was quick to make him a cool $66M richer.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, after poaching Penn State's 2024 backup QB Beau Primula (who some believe Penn State should have kept over Drew Allar), parlayed his Penn State interest into a $61.5M extension.
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Vanderbilt's Clark Lea signed an extension the very next day, which On3 estimates at a total value of $22.2M
Then came BYU's Kelani Sitake. For some ill-advised reason, when Penn State was finally ready to put their dick on the table and make a god father type offer, they chose a school with a whole damn religion behind them. They tried to take a Mormon out of Provo, Utah, and were met with the wrath of Crumbl Cookie money. Sitake's extension is estimated to be around $54M.
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And for good measure, on the heels of the Penn State-Kalani Sitake-Cookie Guy debacle, Georgia Tech was sure to quickly lock down head coach Brent Key with a $32.5M extension, before Penn State could try and funny business.
Which shakes out to $370.8M in contract extensions, all from schools trying to keep their coach from leaving for Happy Valley.
Now I should say, there were more jobs on the table than only Penn State. But looking at all of those names right now, you gotta think Penn State was interested. You gotta think they'd take any one of those 7 coaches in a heartbeat. Because look where Penn State is back to now.
The very coach Penn State players were BEGGING their administration to hire following their blowout win over Nebraska.
At this point, unless Penn State is getting desperate enough to get into the Brian Kelly business (who actually does kinda seem like a fit for them), I'm not sure what option they have left. Ohio State's Brian Hartline has taken the South Florida job.
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Jeff Brohm has reportedly turned down Penn State to stay at Louisville.
All while the player-beloved Terry Smith is still at Penn State grinding away. Trying to keep any semblance of their roster in tact for next season. At this point, I think Penn State has to do it. I don't think it's a bad hire either. In hindsight, they probably should have done it months ago if they really wanted to keep their roster together. But the past is the past. Penn State can do worse than Terry Smith. He's a Penn State alum. He's been coaching there since 2014. The team respect him. He's seen how James Franklin built the program. To James Franklin's credit, he's always had the bones of a playoff caliber football team. He just couldn't win big games. So if Terry Smith can take over the reigns, continue running the program James Franklin built, but get a little bit more out of his players… that might be all Penn State needs to get over the hump.
Penn State really painted themselves into a corner with this one. When you fire a coach on the heels of three 10+ win seasons, it makes your very high expectations for your job very clear. But if coaches can win just as easily at schools like Indiana or Vanderbilt. Schools that will allow their coaches multiple down years before turning on them. Why the hell would they leave a situation like that for Penn State. Where you could win 13 games, make it all the way to the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals, and be fired 6 games into next season. That's a tough sell.