Life comes at you fast in the football world. And not just in the NFL. College football is increasingly becoming one of the most blink-and-you'll-miss-it sports, with recruit updates, transfer portal entries, and coaching changes.
For some schools, consistency is key. For others, the only constant is change. Penn State would fall into the former. The University has had 17 coaches (including interims) in its 132-year history. However, even the mighty fall on hard times.
After 12 years at the helm, James Franklin is out at State College, and the search for the program’s 18th head coach is officially on. One name very familiar to Giants fans is becoming harder to ignore by the minute: former Big Blue head coach Brian Daboll.
Former Giants' HC Brian Daboll gaining traction as potential Penn State head coach
The college football regular season is officially over, opening the floodgates for Silly SZN. HC openings are opening and closing faster than anyone can realistically keep track of, but that's not the case for Penn State, hence the Daboll connection.
The Nittany Lions have seen all of their top candidates ripped off the shelves, leaving them scrambling. Names like Kalani Sitake, Brian Hartline, Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, Eli Drinkwitz, and Clark Lea have already signed elsewhere, or are staying put, which puts even more pressure on the once proud college football powerhouse.
And desperate times call for (desperate measures) outside-the-box thinking, which is great news for the unemployed Daboll.
Related: Brian Daboll emerges as early contender for redemption shot after Giants exit
It's not just the lack of intriguing available options that's driving the bus. The Dabs has family ties to the program. His son was a student coach with the football team for three years while he was there, and his daughter is currently enrolled as a student in Happy Valley.
The lack of candidates, the family ties, and Daboll's coaching acumen make a cocktail that has the 50-year-old as one of the favorites to land the job.
However, It’s not just the oddsmakers drawing lines -- even college football’s coaching GOAT, Nick Saban, gave a glowing endorsement of his former Alabama offensive coordinator during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show:
"I love Brian Daboll and he did a great job here for us..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 26, 2025
He's a very good a coach and he's a great recruiter..
I think he would be an outstanding hire for Penn State" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive https://t.co/gmqYpuhV2P pic.twitter.com/4tbV8eJdCu
For those who live under a rock, Saban's opinion carries weight in the college football world. If he truly believes Daboll could be an "outstanding coach" at Penn State, it'd be unwise to disagree.
While he's never been a head coach in the college ranks, he does have experience working in assistant and coordinator roles early in his coaching career at William & Mary, Michigan State, and, most recently, Alabama in 2017. His development of Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback is also a major plus, and he seems to be player-friendly enough that recruiting shouldn't be an Achilles Heel.
Penn State can’t afford to keep waiting around. The options are thinning fast, and if they don’t act soon, Daboll might not be available much longer.