Brian Daboll’s name circles back into the spotlight again, this time tied to one of the biggest jobs in college football. Recent reports reveal the recently fired New York Giants coach has slipped into the Penn State conversation, catching many people off guard. The timing feels sharp, arriving just days after the Giants let him go following their Week 10 loss to Chicago.
NFL Rumors echoed the buzz with an X post noting, “Penn State is interested in Former #Giants Brian Daboll,” which sent fans spinning a bit.
🚨🚨NFL RUMORS #PennState Is interested in Former #Giants Brian Daboll pic.twitter.com/ysUxPDuXHO
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) November 15, 2025
Penn State Sees Brian Daboll as a Potential Wild-Card Candidate
Penn State Nittany Lions Brian Daboll
Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Penn State’s search shifted the moment James Franklin’s long run ended last month. His exit marked more than 11 years in Happy Valley, and the program immediately started orbiting around several well-known college names. According to Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic, the Nittany Lions keep Daboll in sight too, almost like they’re testing the edges of the board. Their piece tagged him as a wild card who could slide into serious talks if the school leans into an offense-first rebuild.
“There has been a lot of speculation about Penn State’s interest in potential coaches.” The Athletic, Nov. 14, 2025
The fuel was also ignited by Pat McAfee a few days back when he said that Brian could be the splashy hire for Penn State. The interest comes from a real place. Before joining Giants in 2022, the pro coach, Daboll had already had a solid reputation for developing quarterbacks. He spent four seasons running Buffalo’s offense, preparing Josh Allen through the jump that turned him into a star. That alone draws attention from any college program trying to modernize its offense, especially one searching for a new spark.
His path also runs through Alabama under Nick Saban, where he served as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2017. That season pushed several future NFL talents forward and strengthened his name around the sport. Long before that, he held several assistant roles in the NFL and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1999.
Still, his fit at Penn State isn’t clean. He hasn’t led a college program before, and Penn State tends to pick coaches with deep collegiate roots. Many insiders still slot him as a long shot. Even so, his timing, availability, and offensive track record give the school enough reason to consider him, perhaps to see what ideas he brings to the table.
College football has consistently demonstrated that big programs rarely overlook creative options. If Penn State wants fresh energy and an NFL-tested mind, Daboll could end up in an honest discussion, even if he didn’t appear on anyone’s early list when this search kicked off.