It has been five days since Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft fired James Franklin. It was a surprise, but in the overall big picture, it was a move that was made after the Nittany Lions lost three straight games.
Since Franklin was fired, several names have been linked to the job. One of those names was Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. He can be removed from the list of potential candidates after he agreed to an extension of eight years that will pay him $11.6 million a year.
One person who was surprised by the move that Kraft made was Urban Meyer. On The Triple Option, he threw a name out there for the spot, and it was from right field, to say the least.
Urban Meyer Pitches Dan Mullen for Penn State Job
Meyer suggested that current UNLV coach Dan Mullen is someone that Kraft should consider for the opening.
“How about Dan Mullen,’’ Meyer said. “Damn right he is (undefeated). (They) Scored 51 last week. And you know, he’s from the northeast, by the way.’’
Mullen might be from the Northeast, but his coaching roots have been in the South. In 13 years in the SEC, nine at Mississippi State and four at Florida, where he was fired in 2021. He went 103-61 combined at both schools. He’s 6-0 at UNLV this season at the halfway point.
“Yeah, I was shocked,” Meyer said. “We all like the athletic director, Pat Kraft; he’s fantastic. He’s a football guy and treats us great. Obviously, he made a decision. And, I know a lot of Penn State people, a lot of alums, obviously. And I was very close to coach (Joe) Paterno, and so that the word on what I’ve heard from several sources is that this was one man’s call, the athletic director, which it really should be; the board was really not aware, is what I was told. This is not a $40 million transaction; the number will push $75 million. It’s a very highly paid staff.
“My comment to one of the persons was, where does that money come from? And I made the comment earlier, and Mark pushed back on it. I didn’t think they would do it. I just fiscally, I don’t. This is what I’ve heard: Where will the money come from? And the one person said, ‘I have no idea, it’s not there. Obviously, Pat Kraft knows what he’s doing.”
Penn State Will Take Its Time
Kraft will not rush into a decision, and he doesn’t really need to. This is the best open job, but there are bound to be more over the next couple of months, where more options become available.
Cignetti’s not being an option anymore will shift Kraft’s attention somewhere else. There are other Big Ten options like Matt Rhule at Nebraska, and SEC options as well.
Mullen is a name that is going to generate some interest this cycle. He spoke about remaining at UNLV earlier this week.
“I’m gonna be the head coach at UNLV next year,’’ said Mullen. “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere…I told them that. I said, ‘Good or bad.’ It’s the transfer portal world. I said, ‘Don’t get all excited that I might go somewhere you think is a better place.’ I’m going to be here. You guys are stuck with me.”
That is certainly a confident take about remaining at UNLV, but with so many power conference jobs open and about to open, you can’t help but think he’s going to listen, whether it’s Penn State or somewhere else.
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