Surprise Candidate Suddenly Surges as Favorite for Penn S...

By Michael Gallagher

Sports Content Coordinator

ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Most of the college football world is anxiously waiting to see what Lane Kiffin decides after Saturday’s Egg Bowl matchup between No. 6 Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

That is the deadline Kiffin has reportedly set for himself to resolve what comes next for his coaching future — a choice that has come down to either Ole Miss, LSU, or Florida.

Kiffin’s decision is expected to be the first big domino to fall during this year’s coaching cycle, which will likely set off a ripple effect for the other 12 schools looking to fill their respective head-coaching vacancies.

More News: College Football Team Fires Head Coach After Embarrassing 21-Point Loss

Arguably the next-best job opening behind LSU is Penn State, which is looking for a successor to James Franklin, who was recently hired as the new head coach at Virginia Tech.

Penn State has had a much quieter HC search than both LSU and Florida, and the school is set to interview interim head coach Terry Smith, whom the Nittany Lions players have made clear is their preferred candidate, for the permanent job.

More News: Ole Miss’ Top Lane Kiffin Replacement Revealed Amid LSU Rumors

...

More News: Auburn Expected to Hire Coveted Head Coach: Report

Others including Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz are also believed to be among the school’s top choices, but a new name has emerged on Penn State’s radar: James Madison head coach Bob Chesney.

In fact, Chesney is now the new favorite to land the PSU job, according to betting market Kalshi. In the last four days, Chesney’s odds have jumped from 13.8% to 34% as of Monday morning with DeBoer (16%) and Drinkwitz (15%) a close second and third.

Betting markets and sportsbooks aren’t the only ones who believe Chesney, who’s 19-5 in two seasons at James Madison and 130-51 in his college coaching career, is the frontrunner for Penn State either.

College football insider Josh Pate recently stated he believes Chesney is the pick for PSU as well.

“Here’s what I will say — I think they have zeroed in on their guy for the past several days; I think that guy may be Bob Chesney,” Pate said, via On3. “That’s who I think that guy may be.

“… Go look at Chesney’s Wikipedia page. If he gets the Penn State job, where he will have come from to where he will be going, because that it is a pretty steep ascension. If he can win, he can win. I’m not pushing back on it. … I have centered in on Bob Chesney for a couple of days now, so I think that’s where they’ll go.”

More News: Surprise New Favorite Emerges for Arkansas Head-Coaching Job

Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines