Penn State Football rumors: The Buffalo Bills reason Brian Daboll is a candidate for Nittany Lions

More than 50 days after the Nittany Lions fired James Franklin, Penn State’s coaching search has circled back to one name that keeps cutting through the noise: Brian Daboll.

The former New York Giants coach is an unusual college candidate, carrying a 20-40-1 NFL record and no head-coaching experience on campus. The reason he remains near the top of the Nittany Lions’ board traces back to Buffalo.

Daboll’s four-year run as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator still resonates in State College. Working for owner Terry Pegula, a Penn State alum and major donor, Daboll helped transform Josh Allen from a raw prospect into an MVP candidate and pushed Buffalo’s offense to 31.3 points per game in 2020. For a program that just fired Franklin after another stagnant year on offense, that kind of quarterback development is not a luxury. It is the job description.

As other top targets have fallen away, Kalani Sitake staying at BYU, Eli Drinkwitz, Matt Rhule, and Curt Cignetti signing extensions, and Jeff Brohm reaffirming his commitment to Louisville, Daboll’s stock has risen. Predictive markets such as Kalshi shifted in his favor, reflecting what many around Happy Valley sense. Penn State is running out of proven offensive minds with national credibility.

Are there other candidates outside Brian Daboll for Penn State?

The list of alternatives has only thinned. Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline opted for the South Florida job. Former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is entrenched at Duke. Even speculative names like Dan Mullen come with questions about fit that Daboll, with an NFL resume and regional roots, does not.

Daboll also arrives with powerful endorsements. Nick Saban, who won a national title with Daboll calling plays at Alabama in 2017, has publicly urged Penn State to make the hire, praising his offensive acumen, recruiting chops, and ability to build a staff.

Questions remain about how an NFL lifer would navigate NIL, the transfer portal, and year-round recruiting. But Daboll’s Bills resume, Pegula connection, and family ties to Penn State give him a cleaner on-ramp to the college game.

In a search defined by misses and near-misses, the path back through Buffalo may be what finally leads the Nittany Lions to their next coach.

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