Next Penn State Football Coach Odds: Jeff Brohm Now In The Cards

By Bill Speros Nov 5th, 2025 3:33 PM EST

The Penn State football program has moved on from James Franklin. (USA TODAY)

Penn State fired coach James Franklin after 12 seasons and replaced him with Terry Smith as interim boss. The move came after the Nittany Lions suffered back-to-back-to-back Big Ten losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern. What are the latest Next Penn State Football Coach odds?

The internet has spent weeks wondering how Franklin may spend his buyout, which could reach upwards of $49 million depending how hard he looks and how long it takes for him to find his next gig in either coaching or broadcasting.

Penn State was No. 2 in the preseason college football AP Poll. Its precipitous fall from grace shocked college football observers, never mind futures bettors who backed the Lions to with the national championship or Big Ten.

The head coaching job in Happy Valley remains one of the most coveted positions among the 136 FBS schools. Franklin took over as PSU head coach in 2014. The school has only had three full-time, official head coaches since 1966. Expect plenty of big names to surface.

Penn State fans clamored for change after the Lions stumbled in the Big Ten. They got it. (USA TODAY)

Next Penn State Football Coach Odds

Here are the latest Next Penn State Football Coach odds set by brady.bookies.com senior handicapper Adam Thompson. These hypothetical odds are for entertainment purposes only and are not available at any licensed U.S. sportsbook. Kalshi opened its “Next Penn State Coach Market” two weeks ago.

CANDIDATE	CURRENT POSITION	CHANCE	ODDS
Jeff Brohm	Louisville Head Coach	14.3%	+600
Brian Hartline	Ohio State Offensive Coordinator	13.3%	+650
Matt Campbell	Iowa State Head Coach	11.1%	+800
Eli Drinkwitz	Missouri Head Coach	9.1%	+1000
Bob Chesney	James Madison Head Coach	7.4%	+1250
Brent Key	Georgia Tech Head Coach	6.3%	+1500
Manny Diaz	Duke Head Coach	6.3%	+1500
Will Stein	Oregon Offensive Coordinator	4.8%	+2000
Clark Lea	Vanderbilt Head Coach	4.8%	+2000
Ryan Silverfield	Memphis Head Coach	3.8%	+2500
Joe Brady	Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator	3.2%	+3000
Mike Elko	Texas A&M Head Coach	3.2%	+3000
The Field	—	10.0%	+900

The Lions carry both a championship pedigree, and a long-established pipeline to the NFL. Given the Lions' new deal with adidas, NIL money shouldn’t be much of a problem. Never mind what Franklin’s replacement may cost.

Next Penn State Football Coach Odds: Top 5 Candidates

Jeff Brohm, Louisville HC (+600)

Buzz: Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm has dealt the Cards into the chase for an ACC Championship Game berth. Louisville needs to win out, but has scored impressive road wins this season over Miami and Pittsburgh. While Brohm offers no ties to Happy Valley, he does have an impressive 30-year pedigree as a player and coach. His head coaching history included head coaching jobs at Western Kentucky and Purdue before Louisville. Most importantly, Brohm would certainly be receptive to a move back to the Big Ten with a top-tier program.

Brian Hartline, Ohio St. OC (+2000)

Buzz: The Ohio State Buckeyes own the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll and stand as the clear betting favorite to repeat as national champions. Head coach Ryan Day has allowed both offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to handle their own business. Hartline, a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Bucks, has spent his entire coaching career in Columbus. At Ohio State, he’s been credited with helping to develop some of the NFL’s top young receiving talent, including first-round picks Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. So he checks off the “Our Guys Play On Sunday” box. But he lacks head coaching experience.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State HC (+800)

Buzz: A head coach veteran at just 45, is this the year another school lures Matt Campbell away from Iowa? The Cyclones went 11-3 last year to finish No. 15 in the AP poll. But after a 5-0 start this year, ISU dropped 4 straight. Campbell is 104-70 across 15+ seasons as a head coach at Iowa State and Toledo. Is he finally ready for a bigger challenge? He has a deal that takes him through 2032 ... but that's never stopped anyone in college football.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri HC (+1000)

Buzz: Drinkwitz has elevated UM’s program from the doldrums of .500 level play to consecutive double-digit win seasons, going 11-2 with a win in the Cotton Bowl in 2023 before finishing at 10-3 and 5-3 in SEC play last fall. The Tigers (6-2) have settled to a 2-2 record in the SEC this season.

The 42-year-old Oklahoma native has coaching experience just about everywhere but Pennsylvania, with NCAA stops at Auburn, Arkansas State, Boise State, NC State and Appalachian State, but there’s no denying that Drinkwitz has proven himself to be an excellent program builder during his time in Columbia.

Bob Chesney (+1250)

Buzz: Bob Chesney has the James Madison Dukes off to a 7-1 start in the Sun Belt Conference. But the unwashed masses in Happy Valley may not welcome a head coach who's never held any coaching position at a Power 4 school. Chesney seems one step away from landing at Happy Valley.

Two Other Names Of Note

Manny Diaz, Duke HC (+1250)

Buzz: Like Rhule, Manny Diaz discussed the Penn State situation after Franklin's dismissal. "I know no one cared more about getting Penn State to the top, and James Franklin did," Diaz said. "It does say a lot about where we are in college football right now that three weeks ago that they could be number two in the country. 16 days ago, they were leading [Oregon] in overtime. This is going to happen more. I don't think we're fully aware of how our sport is changing, as rapidly as it's changing." Diaz has deep ties to Happy Valley. He was the Penn State DC under Franklin in 2022-23 and crafted one of the most effective defensive units in the nation. Diaz subsequently built a successful program at Duke and could well be ready for a return to the big-time college spotlight. He served as HC at Miami from 2019-21. And beat Clemson this past week 46-45.

Clark Lea, Vanderbilt HC (+2000)

Buzz: Clark Lea ended the days of Vanderbilt being an SEC football laughingstock. The Commodores finished 6-6 last season after stunning Alabama at home, and snagged a bowl bid. Lea has been a college coach at various levels for 20 years. This season, Vandy won its first 5 games before the Tide exacted a measure of revenge 2 weeks ago. The Commodores are 7-2 after a rough loss to Texas. His background is on the defensive side of the ball.