You need to expect the unexpected, especially in college football, where anything can happen. But one analyst seems to think that Penn State football, who's looking for a coach, is going to aim higher than originally believed.
Chip Patterson of CBS Sports made a highly intriguing prediction regarding the Penn State Nittany Lions football program.
After firing longtime coach James Franklin a few weeks back, all eyes have been on Happy Valley and who AD Pat Kraft is going to hire.
Initial rumors were that Kraft was going to target Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, a Penn State alum in his own right, as well as close friend with Kraft. But Rhule had signed a two year extension with the Cornhuskers earlier this week.
Another option was a bigger fish, and that was Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, the Pittsburgh native who completely turned Indiana around to a powerhouse program.
For a school that was mainly considered a basketball school, Cignetti has helped the Hoosiers to a 9-0 record and as the second-ranked team in the country, something that no Indiana football team in history has achieved.
But amid speculation, Cignetti and the Hoosiers quickly agreed to an eight year contract extension worth $93 million.
Scratch those off the table.
But what if there was an option that didn’t seem feasible, but could very well be attainable?
Anything is possible in college football, and outside of LSU, coaching Penn State may be up there with one of the more coveted jobs in the game.
We’ve seen a ton of firings midseason, and it almost feels like it’s too many compared to seasons past, but that is what makes Kraft’s decision so important. Because since Franklin got fired, five coaches got canned, and two of those programs are SEC schools.
So whenever the coaching carousel begins to fill up, it will cause a domino effect. That’s where Patterson comes in and speculates Elko’s involvement.
“That would have the Nittany Lions looking for some of the other top names in the industry, which would include seeing if a former Penn player and New Jersey native Mike Elko would be interested in getting the keys to one of the most storied programs in the country. Texas A&M opening would be an intriguing opportunity for anyone, but here we're using it as a chance for Lincoln Riley to return to Texas to restart the clock.”
It’s one of those speculative stories that is always good for discussion, but until everything is finalized, maybe it’s best that we keep our options open.
A few weeks back, Elko had addressed the rumors with his name being listed as a potential candidate, but he quickly scoffed at it.
Coaches in the sport are certainly under a microscope in the dead of summer in College Station, but with how free they can be to jump, it's for good reason.
Elko may be in a great situation now, but that doesn’t need to rule out Penn State as a legitimate option here.
Let’s not forget that Elko left his job as the Duke coach shortly after its season ended in 2023 so he can take the A&M gig, only for his players to find out on social media.
So who’s to say a similar situation won’t happen again with an enticing job back on the market?