Penn State next coach odds: Ohio State’s Brian Hartline, Eli Drinkwitz among favorites to land Nittany Lions job

Penn State next coach odds: Ohio State’s Brian Hartline, Eli Drinkwitz among favorites to land Nittany Lions job originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Penn State was one of the first big power-conference jobs to open last month. The Nittany Lions fired James Franklin after three straight losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.

As for who will replace him, several quality candidates are in the mix. In fact, BetOnline has listed odds for several coaches linked to the job in Happy Valley. has listed odds for several coaches linked to the job in Happy Valley.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds for Penn State’s next head coach and see how likely any of them are to be hired.

MORE:Ranking the best fits to replace James Franklin at Penn State

Penn State next coach odds

Coach	Current Job	Odds
Brian Hartline	Ohio State OC	-250
Eli Drinkwitz	Missouri HC	+275
Joe Brady	Buffalo Bills OC	+300
Jeff Brohm	Louisville HC	+1000
Manny Diaz	Duke HC	+1200
Matt Campbell	Iowa State HC	+1200
Brian Kelly	Former LSU HC	+1200
Mike Elko	Texas A&M HC	+1600

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Brian Hartline (-250)

Could Penn State poach one of Ohio State’s former players who has become one of the school’s most valuable assistants? Given how impressive Hartline has been in Columbus, a head coaching job could be on the horizon.

He’s been at OSU since 2017, starting as a quality control assistant and working his way up to wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator. He served as the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator alongside Chip Kelly during Ohio State’s national championship season last year.

But 2025 might be his most impressive coaching job yet. Ohio State had to replace nearly its entire offense from last season, including quarterback Will Howard, running backs TreyVeon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and receiver Emeka Egbuka.

With quarterback Julian Sayin, true freshman running back Bo Jackson, and receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, the Buckeyes are averaging 36 points per game. OSU ranks among the top 20 nationally in scoring, passing, and rushing offense.

As unlikely as it may seem for the former Buckeye receiver to take the top job at Penn State — Ohio State’s biggest rival — you couldn’t blame him for considering the opportunity.

MORE:Explaining Brian Kelly’s buyout controversy at LSU

Eli Drinkwitz (+275)

Drinkwitz’s stock may have slipped in recent weeks, as Missouri has lost three of its last four games. Still, Drinkwitz the numbers indicate is an excellent head coach. He is 56-28 overall, including a 44-27 record at Missouri. He led the Tigers to 11- and 10-win seasons the last two years, and Mizzou could reach nine or even 10 wins this season.

A native of Norman, Okla., Drinkwitz could take his winning formula to Happy Valley and thrive. He’s also been a strong recruiter at Missouri and could do the same at Penn State.

MORE: Could Mike Elko’s Aggies run the table?

Joe Brady (+300)

Joe Brady is also in the mix for the open LSU job, according to Las Vegas odds. The South Florida native is currently the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. He began as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach in 2022 and has served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 2023.

Brady, 36, has spent most of his coaching career in the NFL but began coaching at William & Mary and Penn State from 2013–2016. He spent two seasons with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant from 2017–2018.

In 2019, Ed Orgeron hired him as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. That season, the Tigers’ offense averaged 48.4 points per game under Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow. LSU finished 15–0 and captured its most recent national championship. Brady coached Burrow, as well as future NFL players Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, that season.

Brady’s two seasons at Penn State as a graduate assistant are part of the reason he is linked to the job. He has spent nine of his 14 coaching years in the NFL, including helping lead Josh Allen and the Bills to an AFC Championship last season.

Jeff Brohm (+1000)

Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is also among the candidates being mentioned. The former Western Kentucky and Purdue coach has a 92-54 overall record as a head coach and has had success with the Cardinals.

In his first three seasons at Louisville, he led the Cardinals to a combined 19-8 record, including a 10-4 mark in 2023. So far in 2025, Louisville is off to a 7-2 start and remains in contention for the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff, including an upset over Miami earlier in the season.

Brohm played quarterback at Louisville from 1989–1993 and began his college coaching career under Bobby Petrino from 2003–2008.

Manny Diaz (+1200)

Manny Diaz is a longtime college coach who has spent most of his career as a defensive assistant. His first stint as a head coach at Miami ended after three seasons, with a 21-15 record.

Diaz later worked at Penn State as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2022 and 2023. During his tenure, the Nittany Lions finished with top-10 scoring defenses both seasons, including a top-three finish in 2023.

He was hired at Duke before the 2024 season and is 22-14 over two seasons, including a 9-4 finish last year.

Matt Campbell (+1200)

Matt Campbell has faced some recent struggles as Iowa State has lost four straight games to Cincinnati, Colorado, BYU, and Arizona State before defeating TCU 20-17 last week.

Campbell is 105-70 overall as a head coach, starting at Toledo and then moving to Iowa State. He went 35-15 at Toledo before joining Iowa State prior to the 2016 season. Last year, he led the Cyclones to an 11-3 finish, including a Big 12 title game appearance and a win over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

An Ohio native, Campbell has regional ties that align with the Penn State job.

Brian Kelly (+1200)

Brian Kelly is reportedly still negotiating the terms of his buyout with LSU. He has expressed interest in returning to a head coaching position.

Kelly is the 20th all-time winningest head coach with 200 career wins, second among active head coaches behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. He left Notre Dame as the winningest head coach in school history, surpassing Lou Holtz and Knute Rockne.

A native of Massachusetts, Kelly has regional ties that align with the Penn State program.

Mike Elko (+1600)

Mike Elko has emerged as one of the hottest head coaching names in all of college football, thanks to Texas A&M’s 9-0 start. In just his second year as the Aggies’ head coach in 2025, TAMU looks like a legitimate contender to win it all. So far in College Station, Elko is 17-5 over his two seasons, finishing 8-5 last season.

Prior to getting hired by A&M, he was at Duke for two seasons. He helped the Blue Devils reach nine wins for the first time in school history in 2022, and went 7-5 last season.

Before becoming a head coach, Elko was an assistant at Bowling Green, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. Although he sure looks comfortable in the southeast, he has some roots in the northeast. He was born in South Brunswick, New Jersey, and played football at Penn in the late 1990s.

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