Latest SEC Coach Update Spells Bad News for Penn State’s ...

By Nelson Espinal

Contributing Sports Reporter

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The Penn State Nittany Lions are still looking for their replacement for James Franklin.

After losing three straight games, Penn State cut ties with its coach of over a decade. He helped build the program up during a time of instability and controversy.

More news: Dan Lanning Takes Shot at SEC Teams’ Scheduling After Oregon Beats USC

Since letting him go, Franklin has already found a new home, signing on to be the head coach of Virginia Tech, hoping to build it into an ACC powerhouse once again.

Penn State, meanwhile, is still looking for its next leader who can hopefully bring it back into National Championship contention after failing to perform against top teams under Franklin.

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While the search has not produced a clear-cut top choice, names have reportedly been thrown out as candidates for the job.

One of those names, according to Pete Nakos of On3, is Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Drinkwitz has done a great job rebuilding the Tigers into a competitive team capable of upsetting any of the powerhouses, and his performance has gotten the attention of programs looking for a new coach.

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In response to the interest from other programs like Penn State, Missouri is hoping to be proactive and secure its coach long-term.

"The Missouri Board of Curators meeting on Wednesday is to authorize the university to move forward with a proposed - not finalized - new contract for coach Eli Drinkwitz, sources tell Yahoo Sports," college football insider Ross Dellenger wrote in a post on X.

"There are several more steps in this process. No announcement is imminent."

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The entire college football coaching carousel is seemingly waiting for the future of Lane Kiffin to be resolved, who is linked to two major jobs in Florida and LSU.

In the meantime, Missouri is wasting no time in securing Drinkwitz. Penn State may need to act fast if it wants to land the SEC coach, or he may sign a new long-term deal that will take him off the market.

More news: Lane Kiffin’s Handling of Coaching Rumors Is Upsetting SEC Programs

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