Brian Daboll is expected to draw plenty of interest as an offensive coordinator after he was fired by the New York Giants on Monday, but he may also have an outside shot at landing one of the top head coach jobs in college football.
Daboll was fired by the Giants following the team’s Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears. The 50-year-old was a successful offensive coordinator in both the NFL and college prior to New York naming him their head coach in 2022. While it is unclear if NFL teams view Daboll as a potential head coach next season, Penn State is said to have interest.
Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic reported on Friday that Daboll is a “wild card” to watch for the Penn State job. Daboll is believed to have interest in coaching the Nittany Lions and is “expected to get some consideration in Happy Valley.”
Penn State fired James Franklin last month following his 11-plus seasons with the team. There have been several candidates linked to the job.
Daboll was the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills for four seasons before the Giants hired him. Prior to that, he spent a season as the OC and quarterbacks coach under Nick Saban at Alabama. Daboll’s last job in college before he landed at Alabama was when he was a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1999.
There should be several candidates with extensive college head coaching experience who have interest in the Penn State job. Daboll is a long shot, but it would not be a surprise if the two sides at least entertain a conversation.
