Report: University Leadership Getting Involved in Penn State Coaching Search

It looks like the powers that be at Penn State are getting involved in the coaching search.

Zach Barnett of FootballScoop first reported that “upper-level university administration is now getting involved in the Penn State search for the first time.”

The Penn State coaching search has been going on for almost two months, and at this point, not many people are happy for Penn State AD Pat Kraft. 

It seems that among the unhappy are Penn State’s upper administration, which feels compelled to act. Just this week, multiple pieces of the Penn State coaching search have fallen out of the picture. Early in the week, it looked like BYU’s Kalani Sitake would be going to Happy Valley. But BYU rallied together, and Sitake is staying in Provo.

Then, Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline took the South Florida job, Brent Key got extended by Georgia Tech and Jeff Brohm told Louisville he wasn’t leaving.

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The last update is what led to FootballScoop reporting that high-level administrators are getting involved in the search.

An earlier report from Pete Nakos of On3Sports stated that “high-level donors” at Penn State were pushing for interim HC Terry Smith to be promoted to the full-time job.

Smith did an admirable job in getting Penn State to bowl eligibility, and it doesn’t hurt that he played at Penn State for Joe Paterno and was the only full-time assistant coach who was with James Franklin for his entire 11.5-year tenure.

Smith has the backing of plenty of Penn State people. But does higher-administration getting involved help his chances? We will find out.