Penn State’s coaching search has taken yet another intriguing turn. A familiar name from the program’s storied past has reportedly emerged as a candidate to replace James Franklin. Washington Commanders wide receivers coach Bobby Engram is set to interview for the Penn State head coaching position this coming week.​

According to insider Landon Tengwall’s report, “Sources: Washington Commanders WR coach and former Penn State legend, Bobby Engram, is interviewing for the Penn State Head Coaching job this coming week.” His name in the coaching conversations adds a sentimental storyline to what’s been a relatively quiet search process. 

Athletic director Pat Kraft is aggressively pursuing high-profile targets. But it is refreshing to see that he has also kept the door open for candidates with deep connections to the program.​ Despite the majority of his coaching tenure dedicated to the NFL, the 52-year-old served as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator for the 2022 season under head coach Paul Chryst.

The Big Ten observers would know that tenure proved challenging. The Badgers finished 7-6 overall and 4-5 in Big Ten play, ranking 76th nationally in scoring offense at 26.3 points per game and 114th in passing yards per game. Chryst was fired midseason on October 2, and Engram’s lone season as an offensive coordinator ended with Wisconsin’s bowl victory over Oklahoma State. Since 2023, he’s been coaching wide receivers for the Washington Commanders, a franchise currently valued at approximately $7.6 billion.​

After a 14-year NFL career that saw him score for the Bears, Seahawks, and Chiefs, Engram transitioned into coaching. He spent eight seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He was first a wide receivers coach from 2014 to 2018, and then transitioned into a tight ends coach from 2019 to 2021. The potential stumbling block for Engram’s candidacy is glaringly obvious. But Bobby Engram’s Penn State credentials are as undeniable as they come.

Playing for the Nittany Lions from 1991 to 1995, he became one of the most decorated receivers in program history. He still holds Penn State’s career records for receiving yards (3,026) and touchdown receptions (31). His crowning achievement came in 1994 when he became the inaugural winner of the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver. He also earned first-team All-America honors and helped Penn State to an undefeated season and Big Ten championship. He was the first Nittany Lion to record a 1,000-yard receiving season and repeated the feat in 1995.​

Will AD Pat Kraft give the keys to a familiar name that has never been a head coach at any level? Or will he choose the other leading candidates Penn State has been courting?

Kalen DeBoer has been identified as Penn State’s “primary target” and led Washington to a national championship game appearance before taking over at Alabama. Brent Key has gone 27-17 in four seasons at Georgia Tech, including an impressive 9-1 record this season that could culminate in an ACC Championship Game appearance. Bob Chesney has been successful at James Madison. And Eli Drinkwitz boasts a 57-28 overall record as a head coach between Appalachian State and Missouri. 

Engram’s lack of experience leading a program could prove decisive in a search where Penn State appears to be prioritizing established head coaches who can step in and immediately compete at the highest level of college football.​

Financial flexibility opens the door

While Penn State weighs candidates like Engram and other established coaches, the program’s financial landscape just got significantly brighter thanks to Franklin’s departure for Virginia Tech. The two sides negotiated Franklin’s buyout down from a staggering $49 million to just $9 million. This is a $40 million reduction that fundamentally changes what athletic director Pat Kraft can offer the next head coach. And it’s especially meaningful when you consider that Penn State was staring down an $8 million to $9 million annual line item through 2031 under the original buyout structure.​

The savings couldn’t have come at a better time. Kraft acknowledged in October that future coaching contracts will need to look different due to the realities of NIL and revenue sharing, which account roughly for $20 million annually from the athletic budget.

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Thus, he has the financial breathing room to make it happen. Whether that means going all-in on a splash hire like Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer or building a massive staff pool and NIL war chest for someone like Engram. The school suddenly has options it didn’t have when Franklin’s full buyout was hanging over the program. Franklin’s new Virginia Tech deal pays him at least $41.75 million over five years, with $15.5 million allocated for staff. With that, Penn State now has the resources to compete at that level or even exceed it.