Penn State's next coach might be coming fresh out of the NFL

Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll hasn't been gone from the Meadowlands an entire week and he's already a hot name in some coaching circles. Just not in the NFL. 

Could his next destination could bring him down the same road as Matt Rhule and his former boss Nick Saban? Back to college football as Penn State's next head coach? The rumors have already started to run wild as James Franklin's successor has yet to be named. 

On Wednesday's Pat McAfee Show, ESPN personality Pat McAfee and former Penn State lineman A.Q. Shipley discussed Daboll’s firing and pitched him as a strong candidate for the Penn State job.

"Great job in the Big Ten,” McAfee said about Penn State. “To kind of keep the boosters happy, or the fan base happy, you have to make a splashy hire. Daboll would do that, right?”

"[Brian Daboll] is an offensive genius, and [Penn State] hasn't had a good offense in 20, 25, 30 years."@aqshipley and @PatMcAfeeShow think Brian Daboll would be a good fit at Penn State 👀 pic.twitter.com/7zwPi9E49q

Given Daboll's tenure in the Big Apple, a step back might be worth it. He obviously understands the pro game and brings a unique perspective with success at both levels. In fact, he's one of a few assistants with a national championship and a super bowl to his name. 

But why Penn State and not LSU or Florida? Family ties. Daboll's son graduated from the school in Happy Valley and spent time on Franklin's staff before joining his dad in NY. 

 “He’s an offensive genius,” Shipley said. “You take what he learned from Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, and from being a head coach, that’s a splash hire.”

Daboll, who won five Super Bowls as an assistant with the New England Patriots under Belichick. He also spent time at Michigan State under Saban and later served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2017, helping the Tide win a national title.

Penn State can't miss with the next hire. The stakes are too high, especially in the new era of college athletics. Another setback could be disastrous for growth and take years to recover. 

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