The Penn State Nittany Lions will have to eliminate this potential head coach candidate after signing a massive extension on Thursday.

After an abysmal 3-3 start to the 2025 college football season, the Penn State Nittany Lions decided to fire head coach James Franklin following the team’s week seven loss to the Northwestern Wildcats.

The sudden change now puts the program in an interesting spot, as athletic director Pat Kraft must find his replacement for the 2026 season and beyond. And while the Nittany Lions are a top location for a coach at the college level, fans will now have to take Indiana Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti off their head coach list.

According to a press release from the university on Thursday, Indiana and Cignetti have agreed to an 8-year, $11.6 million extension, making him the third-highest-paid head coach across the entire college football landscape.

In his two seasons thus far with the Hoosiers, the 65-year-old coach has quickly turned Indiana into a powerhouse program.

Last year, Cignetti and his squad shocked the entire nation after finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record, while also claiming a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoffs. He would eventually continue his successful run into this season, as Indiana remains undefeated with an impressive win over the Oregon Ducks in week seven.

With his dominant run over the past two seasons, many Penn State fans had Cignetti as a top coaching candidate to replace Franklin for the 2026 season. However, the massive extension virtually ends the fanbase's desires for Kraft to land the up-and-coming coach.

Luckily for Penn State, there remains hope that the Nittany Lions can find the future face of their university’s football program.

Outside of Cignetti, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has reportedly been a name that could be included in the mix.

Freeman, along with Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, will continue to be the big-time names surrounding the position, while Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Boston College’s Bill O’Brien remain in the mix.

For now, Penn State has appointed defensive backs coach Terry Smith to become the interim head coach. The former Nittany Lion wide receiver will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road in week eight.