On Oct. 12, Penn State and head coach James Franklin went their separate ways, a mere day after Northwestern defeated the Nittany Lions.
Since then, Franklin has taken a position at Virginia Tech, and Penn State is still looking for a head coach. Brian Daboll has been mentioned in several reports as a potential candidate for Penn State. Earlier in the month, the New York Giants let Daboll go after he had coached the team for 3½ seasons.
Amid the speculation, Nick Saban, the famous college football coach, endorsed Daboll. Saban stated that hiring Daboll would be “outstanding” for Penn State.
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Saban is familiar with Daboll’s coaching abilities. Daboll was Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017, during the Crimson Tide’s journey to the College Football Playoff national championship.
Saban mentioned the successful year he spent with Daboll and also emphasized Daboll’s other achievements as an NFL assistant coach.
“I have a lot of affection for Brian. He was excellent here. As offensive coordinator, he called the plays when we won the championship. He has been to the Super Bowl multiple times with [Bill] Belichick and has a Super Bowl ring,” Saban said Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
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Before becoming the Giants’ head coach, Daboll worked as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills.
“I believe he was in a difficult situation with the Giants, but I still think he is a very capable coach. He is intelligent and a good recruiter,” Saban added.
“He connects well with the players and is an effective teacher. He possesses a strong offensive mind and can assemble a quality staff. I think it would be an excellent decision to hire him.”
Earlier in the month, The Athletic reported that Daboll was “believed to have interest” in the Penn State job and was “expected to receive some consideration.”
The report also noted that Daboll had the support of “some former NFL players with strong ties to Penn State.”
After losing a close game to No. 2 Indiana in Week 11, Penn State has won its most recent two games. The Nittany Lions will travel to New Jersey to play Rutgers in their regular-season finale on Saturday.
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