With the Penn State Nittany Lions deciding to fire head coach James Franklin midway through the 2025 college football season, athletic director Pat Kraft will now begin his search for Franklin’s replacement.

However, the Nittany Lions are not the only team to part ways with their head coach this season, as programs like UCLA and Florida are in a similar position. This could cause Kraft to be in a heated battle to find his next head coach, with multiple “blue-blood” schools also on the hunt for a new coach.

But after a blowout loss to the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, there is a new name emerging in the potential coaching race for Penn State in former LSU head coach Brian Kelly.

After a 12-year stint with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Kelly left the prestigious program for LSU back in 2022. Despite posting a 92-39 record in South Bend, the 64-year-old head coach was unable to make the transition to the Southeastern Conference, ending his tenure with a 34-14 record while failing to reach the College Football Playoffs.

Now that Kelly is set to hit the market, many fans have floated his name around as a potential replacement.

And while he possesses a strong resume due to his time with Notre Dame, Kraft and the Nittany Lions must avoid the former Tigers’ head coach.

Why Kelly Isn’t A Good Fit

Outside of the corny videos Kelly filmed with potential recruits, there is one major reason why the longtime college football coach would not be a good fit: his inability to elevate a program.

Before becoming the head coach of the Tigers, LSU was in a rough spot following the departure of star players Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. And two seasons after winning the National Championship with this core, LSU parted ways with Ed Orgeron in favor of Kelly.

What made LSU such an intriguing option for Kelly was the program’s resources, as the Tigers' NIL funding would have helped him quickly rebuild the team through the transfer portal.

Unfortunately for the SEC powerhouse, the support did not help Kelly despite landing star players, such as quarterback Jayden Daniels. Even in an expanded playoff format in 2024, LSU failed to reach the playoffs, which likely led to dissatisfaction from the higher-ups.

If Penn State were to hire Kelly, the Nittany Lions would be bringing in yet another coach who can’t elevate the program to the next level.