"Is Kalen DeBoer happy at Alabama": CFB insider throws names of Big Ten, SEC coaches as replacement of James Franklin at Penn State

Penn State's search for James Franklin's replacement has begun, and college football insider Heather Dinich has shared an impressive list of coaches who could vie for the Nittany Lions' vacancy after the 2025 season.

In Monday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," the ESPN senior college football writer identified four SEC and Big Ten coaches who would be dragged into Penn State's search for its next chief tactician during the offseason. They are Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Oregon's Dan Lanning and Texas A&M's Mike Elko.

DeBoer is 5-1 this season for Alabama at the halfway mark of the season, while Day's Ohio State is 6-0. Lanning and Oregon are 5-1 after losing to Indiana on Saturday, while Mike Elko's Texas A&M is still spotless at 6-0.

Dinich told McAfee that everything would unravel in the second half of the season when teams play their conference foes and fight for a spot in the college football playoffs in December.

“I mean, look down the stretch. Is Kalen DeBoer happy at Alabama at the end of the season,” Dinich said (Timestamp 1:18:22). “I mean, Dan Lanning is probably pretty set in Oregon. How happy is Ryan Day? I don’t know the answer to all these questions, would they leave? Would they leave? Right? That’s part of the question.”

"But don’t count out a name like Texas A&M coach Mike Elko as well. He’s done a fantastic job. I would not rule out anyone at this point. Wide net. No rush to make it, all the money in the world to do it,” she added.

Before Dinich's statements, Nebraska's Matt Rhule and Indiana's Curt Cignetti were also mentioned in reports as possible replacements for Franklin, who was fired in Penn State after 11 1/2 seasons and a 104-45 record.

Penn State AD to give interim coach control in the remainder of the season, says ESPN CFB scribe

ESPN senior college football writer Heather Dinich said Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft will be patient in its coaching search. Kraft also pointed out that interim coach Terry Smith will call the plays until the end of the season.

“Well, they’re not rushing this decision, because what they don’t want to do is zero in on a coach right now who might have a downward spiral in the second half of the season, right so let it play out, see how it goes,” Dinich said (Timestamp 1:17:25).

"And their AD Pat Kraft said today publicly that they will absolutely give interim head coach Terry Smith a chance at this thing. And Pat Kraft said, 'I will do everything I can to help Terry Smith run the table and win the rest of the season,'" she added.

Smith was a former Penn State wide receiver before he was hired by the team in 2014 as its cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for defense. He had a hand in developing future NFL players Joey Porter Jr, Daequan Hardy and Kalen King.

Penn State looks to arrest its three-game losing skid when it faces Iowa on Oct. 18. The Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 in Big Ten) are coming off a 37-0 win over Wisconsin last Saturday.