Penn State’s 58-day coaching search has finally come to an end. After James Franklin’s unexpected firing, AD Patrick Kraft explored every option to fix the mess left by the former HC. Kraft was also scrambling into the NFL, Brian Daboll to be more specific. But when it mattered the most, one of Penn State’s biggest boosters allegedly refused to help.

Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills and one of Penn State’s biggest boosters with $102+ million in donations, didn’t help out PSU. Penn State needed serious cash to land Daboll, but the support never came, claims Liam Blutman of Barstool Sports.

“Had heard in early December that Pegula didn’t wanna give $ to Penn State for a potential Daboll hire and that he wanted to can McDermott if Bills didn’t succeed big time this season and hire Daboll as replacement to reunite with Allen,” Blutman tweeted.

Blutman also mentioned that in due time, the legitimacy of the story will be revealed.

The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November 2025 after a 2–8 start. He was one of the strongest candidates to join PSU, and the school was willing to take the gamble. However, money became a major problem.

Earlier today, the Bills fired their head coach, Sean McDermott, and the timing says a lot. McDermott began his career as the Buffalo Bills Head Coach in the 2017 season. Since then, he led the Bills to the playoffs eight out of nine times. They have held a successful record of winning 10+ games for seven straight years.

Despite a successful regular season record, the Bills were never able to lift the Super Bowl trophy under McDermott. Now, with Josh Allen entering his prime, Pegula wants a better coach to build a stronger team for the 2026 season.

Allen is already leading the Bills’ playoff record book with the most total yards and the most touchdowns. He has already surpassed legends like Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. The only thing missing for Allen is a Super Bowl trophy. That’s where Brian Daboll comes back into the picture. Daboll was Buffalo’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, and he played a huge role in Allen’s rise. It is safe to say that it was Daboll who helped Allen in the initial stages of his career. Allen was throwing more picks than TDs and only completed under 60% of his passes.

Then Daboll changed the strategy. By 2020, Buffalo ran a pass-heavy spread offense built around Allen and Stefon Diggs, and the results were commendable. The Bills finished second in the NFL in points and yards, and Daboll won AP Assistant Coach of the Year. In 2021, the offense stayed elite, and Allen posted 4,544 passing yards, 37 TDs, and finished second in MVP voting. When the Bills let McDermott go, Daboll immediately emerged as a top reunion candidate.

Top NFL insiders like Dianna Russini have reported that Brian Daboll’s name keeps coming up in the discussions about McDermott’s replacement.

This explains a lot about the Penn State situation. Pegula didn’t help PSU because he didn’t want to. Daboll was a “wild card” candidate in Happy Valley, but there was real interest. Now, PSU has signed a new Head Coach, Matt Campbell.

Pegula’s son previously worked with the team, his daughter is a current Penn State student, and he was even spotted wearing a Penn State hoodie outside his New Jersey home in November 2025.

That photo sent PSU fans into a frenzy. Even Nick Saban, who won a title with Daboll at Alabama, publicly endorsed him as an “outstanding hire.”

Yes, maybe for the first time, Terry Pegula chose his team over his alma mater. But does it indicate that he hasn’t been loyal to PSU?

Terry Pegula: the man who saved PSU

Terry Pegula, now 74, played a major role in keeping Penn State athletics afloat during its darkest times. Long before the current drama with finding a new Head Coach, his support directly stabilized what’s now considered a blue-blood program. Back in September 2010, just before a scandal rocked the university, Terry and his wife, Kim Pegula, announced an $88 million gift to Penn State. The donation funded a state-of-the-art ice arena and launched men’s and women’s Division I hockey programs.

At the time, it was the largest private donation in school history. In April 2012, the Pegulas increased their commitment to $102 million, ensuring the project was fully funded. Then came 2013, when Penn State football needed help again. NFL teams aggressively pursued head coach Bill O’Brien, and the program desperately needed stability. Pegula stepped in as a major ally, reportedly helping fund a $1.3 million salary raise that made O’Brien one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten.

That move helped keep the program steady when it was at its most vulnerable. Pegula’s influence didn’t stop there. In 2018, he was appointed to the Penn State Board of Trustees, further cementing his long-term commitment to the university. So yes, choosing the Bills over Penn State in this moment hurts. But it doesn’t undo the fact that Pegula has repeatedly shown up for PSU when it mattered most.