For AD Pat Kraft, the head coach hunt is proving to be a slippery slope. Ever since the firing of James Franklin, University Park is staring down a talented mix, but to no avail. However, according to the latest intel, a top-three Big Ten offensive coordinator has entered the carousel.

According to On3, Will Stein is a face “to watch” for the Penn State gig, among the offensive coordinators. Oregon’s offensive coordinator has become one of the hottest commodities to pursue in the job market so far. A Broyles award finalist, he led the Ducks’ offense to jump four spots to No. 4 during his Oregon debut season, developing the program’s most celebrated wide receivers in Denver Broncos and Tez Johnson, and mentored Bo Nix into a Heisman weapon.

Presently, Stein holds a $1.75 million contract with the Ducks. Following the Big Ten championship win, Oreon splurged money on their coaching roster. Along with Dan Lanning, Will Stein, whose original contract, inked in 2023, concludes in 2026, now runs through the 2027 season.

But will he leave Eugene? Oregon Live’s Aaron Fentress replied to a fan query regarding the same matter back last month. “Stein, Oregon’s offensive coordinator, will leave Oregon for a head coaching job and not a minute sooner,” he wrote. “He has coached two consecutive Heisman Trophy candidates and clearly has developed Dante Moore. The Ducks are 30-4 with Stein on the staff.”

However, with Oregon’s success, Dan Lanning does not seem too eager to let go of his OC. Following the 42-13 win over Minnesota, the head coach had nothing but praise for his offensive staff. “I think it’s an unbelievable job by our offensive staff, great job by Will (Stein), great job by our players. ”

With a decorated resume, Will Stein’s stock has considerably risen. Along with Penn State, UCLA, Florida, and others are also interested in him.

Penn State’s head coach hunt bears no result

It’s been over a month since Penn State fired James Franklin and is looking for his replacement. According to the latest intel by On3, among the other names that have surfaced so far are “Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, and Louisville’s Jeff Brohm.

Brent Key, whose “Slice me open and see what colors I bleed” emotion says enough about his loyalty to the Yellowjackets. Similarly, Cardinals’ Jeff Brohm, a former alum whose familial roots, linked to Louisville’s Catholic Sports Hall of Fame, portrays significant emotion towards his alma mater.

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz is another name on the list. Boasting a 10+ win season consecutively for eight seasons. Recently, Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick predicted that the Nittany Lions might hire Drinkwitz for the head coach seat. “Drinkwitz has done a great job at Missouri over the last three years, compiling a 27-8 record since 2023.”

As Vanderbilt’s head coach, Clark Lea, the Commodores do not seem to let go of their 2024 SEC Coach of the Year head coach too easily. “It is my objective to continue investing and supporting the great leader that we have in Clark Lea so that we can keep building something special here,” AD Candice Storey Lee stated, according to the Athletic.

Along with Will Stein, another offensive coordinator whose name has popped up on the feed is Ohio State’s Brian Hartline. Back in October, he even received a green light from Urban Meyer himself, indicating that he is ready to be a head coach.

On the other hand, as soon as speculations started to gain steam, Nebraska and Indiana locked down their head coaches, quelling those rumors.