The James Franklin era at Penn State has come to an end after 12 years, and finding his replacement is proving to be no easy task. Fired on October 12 following the loss to Northwestern, the search process appears far from over, with numerous candidates still in play.
Matt Rhule, a former Nittany Lions linebacker, was initially viewed as the favorite, but after signing a two-year contract extension with Nebraska, he’s officially out of the running. That only added more intrigue to a long list of potential candidates — and an opportunity for those looking to make some real money off this situation.
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Penn State Nittany Lions Permanent Head Coach Odds
Penn State Head Coaching Candidates
About 19 names appear on Kalshi as potential replacements for Franklin, and the odds are shifting quickly. Rhule, who once topped the board with a 41% chance, plummeted to 2% after his contract extension became official.
That opened the door for Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm to become the new favorite at 29%. His track record of building strong programs — first at Purdue and now with the Cardinals — stands out. However, his odds on Kalshi have fluctuated amid uncertainty over whether he’d leave his alma mater in the midst of a successful 6–1 season.
Eliah Drinkwitz, the Missouri head coach who’s also rumored to be a candidate for the Florida Gators job, sits second at 21%, climbing after several big-name contenders dropped out.
Urban Meyer’s odds are also rising (now at 18%). The former Ohio State coach and current TV commentator is a legend in the sport and will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Another name trending upward is Brian Hartline, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Once sitting at 5%, his odds have climbed to 18%. While he has no head coaching experience, making his debut in such a high-profile job would be a major leap.
Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in Iowa State history and the Big 12’s third-longest-tenured head coach, is another serious contender. He currently sits at 14% amid a solid 5–3 campaign by the Cyclones.
Recently, Mike Elko, Texas A&M’s head coach, who has led the Aggies to an 8–0 start, has emerged as a dark horse with 9% odds on Kalshi. Further down the list are Brian Kelly (8%), recently fired by LSU; Brent Key (8%), Georgia Tech’s head coach and alum; and Manny Diaz (6%), currently leading Duke.
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Different than a traditional sportsbook and available in all 50 states, Kalshi allows users to make predictions across several unique markets, including sports, entertainment, elections and even weather.
Kalshi operates on a contract-based system where users buy "contracts" (priced between 1–99 cents) based on whether they believe a specific event will happen. The price of each contract fluctuates in real time based on market sentiment and like the stock market, traders can sell positions early to lock in profits (or minimize losses).
