By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhile much of the focus in the college football coaching market is centered on Lane Kiffin and what his future holds — whether he remains at Ole Miss or heads to LSU or Florida — there still remains a prominent opening at Penn State.
There are several rumored candidates, such as Pat Fitzgerald and Eli Drinkwitz, who continue to be highly sought after. However, legendary coach Nick Saban believes one former NFL coach would be an “outstanding” hire for the Nittany Lions program, as he shared during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
That coach? Recently fired New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who has had significant success at both the pro and collegiate levels in a variety of roles. That includes winning a national championship at Alabama as Saban’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2017.
“I love Brian. He did a great job here for us,” Saban said. “As offensive coordinator, we won the championship with him calling the plays. He’s been in the Super Bowl several times with Belichick and won. And, you know, I think he was in a tough situation with the Giants. But I do think he’s a very good coach. He’s a bright guy, he’s a good recruiter, he relates well to the players, he’s a good teacher, he’s got a good offensive mind, and he’d be able to put a good staff together. I think that would be an outstanding hire.”
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Daboll compiled a 20-40-1 record during his time with the Giants, but he did win Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the team to the playoffs and a first-round victory.
From there, things went downhill. And despite getting a lot out of rookie QB Jaxson Dart this season, the team struggled to finish games, leading the organization to ultimately decide it was time to move on.
Daboll’s son, Christian, attended Penn State and served as a student coach during his time at the university, giving the family a small connection to the program if Daboll does in fact emerge as a candidate for the job.
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