Matt Campbell and More Line Up for the Penn State Job

It was another rough football weekend for Iowa State fans. The Cyclones dropped their second straight game of the season on the road at Colorado. But Iowa State fans might want to keep a close eye on what is going on at Happy Valley.

Penn State Searching for New Football Coach

Penn State fired head football coach James Franklin on Sunday following the Nittany Lions' loss to unranked Northwestern. This follows losses to Oregon and an unranked and winless UCLA team. The Des Moines Register reports that Franklin led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and a #2 preseason national ranking. But Franklin couldn't win the big game. The Register reports that despite an overall record of 104-45 at Penn State, Franklin was just 4-21 against top 10 teams.

What Coaches Might Penn State Hire Next?

The rumors are already flying around about who Penn State would like to interview for the head coach position. There are a few names that seem to make sense. Let's lead off with the one Iowa State fans won't like to see.

Matt Campbell - Iowa State 

Campbell's resume at Iowa State has everyone's attention. The Register reports that Campbell is a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and has led the Cyclones to two top-15 finishes. Since arriving in Ames in 2016, he has turned the Iowa State program into a perennial conference contender.

Campbell has been a hot coaching candidate for years, and it is no sure thing that Penn State would be the job to lure him away. However, as the Register points out, Campbell played college football at Pittsburgh and Division III Mt. Union.

Matt Ruhle - Nebraska

Ruhle is in his third season with the Cornhuskers and has Nebraska sitting at 5-1. The Register reports he also rebuilt the Temple and Baylor football programs and spent time in the NFL as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

Ruhle also played at Penn State. He was a linebacker from 1994-1997, and is also said to be good friends with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft. But like Franklin, Ruhle also has a losing record against ranked teams according to the Register. 

Curt Cignetti - Indiana

The name that really excites the Nittany Lion fanbase is current Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti. The Register reports that he has turned Indiana into a National Title contender in just two seasons. Cignetti is 17-2 at Indiana and has the Hoosiers ranked at #3 in the latest coaches' poll. Indiana topped #2 Oregon on Saturday.

Cignetti does have ties to the area, having spent six seasons as the head coach at Division II Indiana University in Pennsylvania. It could take a huge pay raise to get him to leave Indiana.