Penn State Coaching Vacancy

H

HawkPowerlifter

Well-Known Member
Not that we are hanging on the edges of our seats, but thoughts on who they go after? I think Cignetti is out. Indiana will throw more money at him and he is building a program over there. Granted PSU has cache of money, but I don't see it. Plus, he doesn't seem the type to jump ship.

Now, Matt Rhule, a Pennsylvania native, former walk on, seems to be the favorite. But I also question his merit. Has he really done anything at Nebraska? I watched his presser the other day, and while he said all the right things, he looked like he was lying through his teeth.

Or is Matt Campbell a dark horse? Part of me says "No way." Just don't see it. Again, it would be an upgrade to the program he is at.

Does Penn State even look to make a splash hire or do they promote from within or hire someone that they rebuild from the ground up? Fickell tried that and look how that worked out for him. I also wonder if they will try to damage control and hire soon or do they ride out the season and take their lumps with decommits and recruiting?
 


HawkPowerlifter said:
Not that we are hanging on the edges of our seats, but thoughts on who they go after? I think Cignetti is out. Indiana will throw more money at him and he is building a program over there. Granted PSU has cache of money, but I don't see it. Plus, he doesn't seem the type to jump ship.

Now, Matt Rhule, a Pennsylvania native, former walk on, seems to be the favorite. But I also question his merit. Has he really done anything at Nebraska? I watched his presser the other day, and while he said all the right things, he looked like he was lying through his teeth.

Or is Matt Campbell a dark horse? Part of me says "No way." Just don't see it. Again, it would be an upgrade to the program he is at.

Does Penn State even look to make a splash hire or do they promote from within or hire someone that they rebuild from the ground up? Fickell tried that and look how that worked out for him. I also wonder if they will try to damage control and hire soon or do they ride out the season and take their lumps with decommits and recruiting?
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Penn State media is pretty certain the list is Rhule, Cignetti, and Campbell in that order and that they're going to throw gobs of money at it. Those insider guys wouldn't report it if it's not somewhat true, I'm guessing phone calls have already been made.

I hope like HELL it's Rhule. Listening to nebraska fans whine after their best coach in 20 years leaves to another B1G school with the best QB they've in the past 20 years and the best OC they've had in the past 20 years would be like the angels singing music to my ears down from heaven. I could die happy at that point.

Rhule didn't give a very comforting statement to nebraska media yesterday, he basically went on and on about how much he loved PSU, and made a whole bunch of points that to me sounded like a list of preemptive excuses for why he was leaving. All he said about being at nebraska was that he loved living there, he's there to rebuild the nebraska program, and it's up to his wife where they live. Not kidding.

Pretty sure that dude has about 6 games left dressed in red.
 




Fryowa said:
Penn State media is pretty certain the list is Rhule, Cignetti, and Campbell in that order and that they're going to throw gobs of money at it. Those insider guys wouldn't report it if it's not somewhat true, I'm guessing phone calls have already been made.

I hope like HELL it's Rhule. Listening to nebraska fans whine after their best coach in 20 years leaves to another B1G school with the best QB they've in the past 20 years and the best OC they've had in the past 20 years would be like the angels singing music to my ears down from heaven. I could die happy at that point.

Rhule didn't give a very comforting statement to nebraska media yesterday, he basically went on and on about how much he loved PSU, and made a whole bunch of points that to me sounded like a list of preemptive excuses for why he was leaving. All he said about being at nebraska was that he loved living there, he's there to rebuild the nebraska program, and it's up to his wife where they live. Not kidding.

Pretty sure that dude has about 6 games left dressed in red.
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Oh and does Dylan Riola go with Rhule? One year left of eligibility. But I think it's Rhule. Very fickle with his statements and his eyes gave me the sense he was giving "coach speak". They were darting all over the place.
 




HawkPowerlifter said:
Oh and does Dylan Riola go with Rhule? One year left of eligibility. But I think it's Rhule. Very fickle with his statements and his eyes gave me the sense he was giving "coach speak". They were darting all over the place.
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Dylan Riola is listed as a sophomore. So I believe he has 2 years left after this year.
 


Seth53 said:
Cig is 64. Unlikely to move due to that alone. Making $8.3mil/year.

Rhule is 50. Decent age to make this type of move. Making $8.25mil/year

Campbell is 46. Perfect age for this type of move. Making $5mil/year.
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Cignetti is out IMO unless they did something crazy like made him the highest paid coach ever in college football. He's in the best situation possible right now for a coach. At a school winning games in a town with zero expectations, rock star to everyone in the state, making gobs of money as long as he wants to stay.

Campbell would leave if offered I think. ISU has an innate ceiling that no one will break. It's made out of hardened, reinforced concrete and he knows it. He just can't say it publicly.

Rhule is who they're after. I have seen it reported multiple places that his wife's entire family are in central Pennsylvania and all are rabid PSU fans. Until he comes out and makes a flat statement that he's not leaving, he's leaving (in my opinion...I could be wrong).

Like other coaches before him, he's been asked flat out if he's staying and he deflects. If he's deflecting that means by default he's considering it. If he isn't considering it he would immediately say so to keep his players from freaking out.
 


I think it will be Rhule at PSU.
It's an upward move for him and he has ties.

Wisconsin would also be an upward move for Campbell, I would not be surprised to see him in that role.
 








Rhule may take the PSU job, but why in the hell would they want him? His record vs Top 10 opponents is worse than Franklin's. He's a proven program 'rebuilder', but Penn St. is not in rebuilding mode -- they're in 'we want a national title yesterday' mode -- and there's nothing in Rhule's resume that indicates he has the ability to get that done. This is a coach who, in his 3rd year with a 5 star QB, during the past 2 weeks trailed Michigan State and Maryland in the 4th quarter. I mean, egads.

Other than his geographic connections, and that he can bring a 5-star QB with him, I just don't get it.

But I agree with Fry, while Rhule's family is undoubtedly tired of moving, from a career standpoint this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that no coach is going to pass up. And when asked to do so yesterday, he refused to say he was staying with the Huskers...clearly he was leaving all his options open.

If I'm Penn St., I'm backing up a semi full of green to Cig. I think he'll take it, and he'll be much more successful than Rhule. He's the real deal.
 




Grady said:
Rhule may take the PSU job, but why in the hell would they want him?
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Whether we think it'd be dumb is irrelevant. They want him. Their media have insider sources just like ours do and it's being reported everywhere.

Kraft and Rhule are very tight and both have said so publicly. Kraft was his AD when he was head coach at Temple. Rhule is a Pennsylvania guy, former player, met his wife there, fan since birth in his own words. If I had to guess there's about a zero percent chance an east coaster lady is liking living in a middle of nowhere shithole like Lincoln nebraska no matter what Rhule says.

Cignetti???

He's 64 and his contract for $8 point something million runs past retirement age. Why on earth at that age would he want to uproot again and go work for a school that everyone knows is going to fire you if you don't make the playoffs in the next two years, with media asking you after a single loss if you feel like your job's in danger, blah blah blah?? Is that worth $2 million extra a year or whatever it is? At age 40 hell yes it is. But at 64 I'm sorry, you're clock is starting to run out on the added benefit it would give you in the time you have left.

At Indiana he's a rock star and like Matt Campbell they'll still love him to death no matter what the record is because a 10-2 year and a victory against Oregon buys you a whole lot more love and affection than it does at Penn State.

He also knows that James Franklin getting fired just punched his ticket to a nice, fat restructuring of his own contract. If you guys think he and his agent haven't had a phone conference yet about how they're going to subtly hint that Cignetti is a hot commodity who, even though he loves Indiana, is deserving of a restructure with higher pay due to market value, you're nuts.
 


Fryowa said:
Penn State media is pretty certain the list is Rhule, Cignetti, and Campbell in that order and that they're going to throw gobs of money at it. Those insider guys wouldn't report it if it's not somewhat true, I'm guessing phone calls have already been made.

I hope like HELL it's Rhule. Listening to nebraska fans whine after their best coach in 20 years leaves to another B1G school with the best QB they've in the past 20 years and the best OC they've had in the past 20 years would be like the angels singing music to my ears down from heaven. I could die happy at that point.

Rhule didn't give a very comforting statement to nebraska media yesterday, he basically went on and on about how much he loved PSU, and made a whole bunch of points that to me sounded like a list of preemptive excuses for why he was leaving. All he said about being at nebraska was that he loved living there, he's there to rebuild the nebraska program, and it's up to his wife where they live. Not kidding.

Pretty sure that dude has about 6 games left dressed in red.
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I like how you think. :p
 










I would think they might try and pull Freeman away from ND or Cignetti if they are head over heals impressed with him. But I think they'd both pass on it. Cignetti is like north of 62. PSU might want someone younger hard to say they could surprise me with that.

Rhule seems like an obvious option with all his ties and he didn't say no yesterday... Not in any sort of definitive way he didn't. He talked about it in a way where I'd bet my mortgage that if PSU rolled out the blue and white carpet for him he couldn't say no.

Beyond him sure Campbell would be on the short list I'm not sure he'd take that job though. He's turned down better hasn't he? Wasn't he on the short list for USC when Riley got it? I don't think Campbell has been turning down great jobs to end up going to PSU. I'm thinking ND and or OSU are his dream job options and until they come knocking he's gonna sit tight at ISU.
 


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