Penn State Could Make Stunning Push for Legendary Coach

By Evan Massey

Contributing Sports Writer

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Since making the decision to fire head coach James Franklin, the Penn State Nittany Lions have not had a great search to find a new head coach to replace him. Unfortunately, a lot of the top-tier candidates have been hired by other programs.

Most recently, Penn State appeared to be heavily targeting BYU coach Kalani Sitake. The chances of the two sides getting a deal done skyrocketed recently. However, he opted to remain in his current situation.

Now, the Nittany Lions seem to be in a tough position. Who do they look to to lead the program into the future?

Read more: Florida Gators Make Another Big Coaching Move After Jon Sumrall Hire

Some believe that current interim head coach Terry Smith might be the choice when all is said and done. At the very least, Penn State could roll with him for the 2026 season and see what happens. Or, the program could consider making an aggressive pursuit of another option.

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At the beginning of the search, former Ohio State and Florida legendary head coach Urban Meyer was viewed as a potential candidate. That did not go anywhere. Could the Nittany Lions consider revisiting their interest?

Meyer would be a perfect hire for Penn State. He has a proven track record everywhere he has been at the college level. In addition, he's the kind of guy that can build a championship culture very quickly.

Whether or not he truly has interest in returning to the sidelines or not remains to be seen.

Throughout his college head coaching career, Meyer has compiled an extremely impressive 187-32 record. He has won three national championship game as well.

On the outside looking in, there would be no better hire than Meyer. Perhaps the Nittany Lions could consider putting a full-court press on either Kalen DeBoer or Lincoln Riley. Stealing them away from Alabama and USC respectively would be no easy task.

Read more: Ohio State Coach Emerging as Potential Favorite for Big Ten Rival

Right now, Meyer is available and is worth making a call to. Penn State has to bring in the right person to get the program back on track. After moving on from a coach like Franklin, the program cannot afford to miss.

Perhaps the Nittany Lions and Meyer won't even talk. It's just an idea. However, it's one that would make a ton of sense for Penn State and an aggressive pursuit should at least be considered.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions and college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.

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