When Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft met with the media Monday, he outlined the traits and expectations required for the program’s next leader — standards former head coach James Franklin ultimately failed to meet.
Two of the most popular names circulating among college football analysts are Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. Let’s examine the case for each.
USA TODAY
Matt Rhule
The Case for Rhule:
There are several reasons analysts believe Kraft could target Rhule. The two worked together at Temple and have maintained a strong rapport.
Rhule is also a State College native and a Penn State alumnus, both as a player and assistant coach.
Rhule’s résumé includes authoring Temple’s only consecutive double-digit win seasons and rebuilding Baylor following the Art Briles scandal. Last season, he guided Nebraska to its first winning campaign since 2016 and its first bowl victory since 2015. The Huskers are currently off to their best start in nearly a decade at 5–1.
Odds Matt Rhule Becomes Penn State’s 17th Head Coach: 10%
When asked about the speculation, Rhule appeared sincere in reaffirming his commitment to Nebraska:
“I came here for two reasons,” Rhule said. “I love this community, and I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football. This place is elite. I want to be a great father and a great college football coach. I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come up… but I absolutely love it here.”
Rhule seems deeply rooted in Lincoln. After his rocky NFL tenure with the Carolina Panthers, Nebraska invested in him and has supported his vision.
While some Penn State fans would be outraged by Rhule, his record in ranked matchups is no better than Franklin’s, and he has yet to stay more than four seasons at any program. Based on his own words, all signs point to Rhule remaining at Nebraska for the long haul to eradicate the transient stigma.
Curt Cignetti – Indiana Hoosiers Athletics
Curt Cignetti
The Case for Cignetti:
Cignetti has become one of college football’s hottest coaching names. After leading Indiana to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance last season, he now has the Hoosiers in strong position for a second straight berth.
A Pennsylvania native with deep roots in the Keystone State, Cignetti spent nine seasons over two stints as an assistant at Pitt in the 1980s and 1990s, four seasons as quarterbacks coach at Temple, and six highly successful seasons as head coach at IUP — compiling a 53–17 record.
Odds of Curt Cignetti Becomes Penn State’s 17th Head Coach: <1%
To borrow a line from Dumb and Dumber, when Lloyd Christmas asks if there’s a chance — and Mary Swanson replies, “one in a million” — that’s about where Cignetti’s odds stand.
While college football is unpredictable — Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC overnight, and Brian Kelly discovered his “Southern accent” at LSU after leaving Notre Dame — Cignetti seems unlikely to leave Bloomington anytime soon.
Indiana will surely reinvest in him, and practically speaking, the timing doesn’t align. If the Hoosiers remain in Big Ten title and CFP contention, Cignetti won’t entertain distractions.
Penn State would need a coach sooner rather than Cignetti will be available because the timing is right for both.
Kraft wouldn’t take that big a gamble on such a slim margin of error, that being Cignetti getting cold feet and Penn State left scrambling for a coach.
As ESPN’s Pete Thamel once recalled, when he previously speculated about Cignetti for another job, the coach directly told him he wasn’t interested in distractions. That mindset likely hasn’t changed.
Verdict: While both names have natural appeal, Rhule’s ties to Penn State make him a logical but unlikely fit, and Cignetti’s current success at Indiana makes him virtually untouchable — at least for now.
