Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541276
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M seasons. Kraft will not only have to look deep into Fitzgerald's background, but also figure out if he can still get the job done as a coach. Brent Key Georgia Tech head coach 2025 salary: $4.5 million Fitz's Take: We have reason to believe that Key has moved up the board. The Alabama native guided Georgia Tech to an 8-0 start, and while the Yellow Jack- ets slipped up in a 48-36 loss to NC State on Nov. 1, the fourth-year coach is 26- 17 since taking over his alma mater four years ago. Key played guard for Georgia Tech and has a background on the offensive line. He was at Central Florida in several roles for 10 years before coaching the offen- sive line for Alabama, where his unit was a three-time finalist for the Joe Moore Award (2016-18). Although he doesn't have strong connections to the North- east, he comes highly recommended. Big-Swing Candidates Kalen DeBoer Alabama head coach 2025 salary: $10.25 million Fitz's take: Penn State almost got a gift from South Carolina on Oct. 25 when the Gamecocks had Alabama on the ropes. While he's not on the hot seat in Tuscaloosa, it wouldn't take long for that kind of talk to heat up with a loss like that. The Tide came back and won, 29-22, but for a moment, a door looked to be cracked. There's a high bar in Alabama, espe- cially for an outsider like DeBoer. He should end up in the College Football Playoff with the Tide at 8-1 after a 20-9 win over LSU on Nov. 8, and that could take him out of the mix. Still, Penn State is interested and continues to look for a window there. Mike Elko Texas A&M head coach 2025 salary: $7 million Fitz's take: The most constant name that comes up when discussing the top-of-the-board candidates is Elko, head coach at Texas A&M and a New Jersey native. He's got the third-ranked Aggies rolling at 9-0 to open the 2025 season, the most recent of those wins being a 38-17 romp over No. 19 Mis- souri on Nov. 8. With three games left in the regular season, he had already surpassed the eight wins he totaled in his first year in College Station. Elko's winning ways, inside-out ap- proach and regional ties make him an appealing candidate. As we've been saying all along, though, A&M has the resources to keep him around. He's making $7 million in 2025, but that number will be much different in 2026. Penn State will swing big at a few differ- ent candidates, and Elko is right there. He's an ideal fit, according to some. Marcus Freeman Notre Dame head coach 2025 salary: $7.42 million (salary total; overall compensation not pub- lished) Fitz's take: The mindset hasn't changed, and we still don't expect Free- man to move to Penn State. But Kraft will make his interest known, and Free- man's camp hasn't shut anything down directly. The NFL remains of interest, as does the potential for yet another extension from the Fighting Irish. Free- man's representation is working well for him this season. With the Irish in playoff contention at 7-2 following a 49-10 rout of Navy on Nov. 8, he remains an unlikely can- didate. But that doesn't knock him out of the big-swing category. Jeff Brohm spent six seasons at Purdue before returning to his alma mater, Louisville, in 2023. The Cardinals are off to a 7-2 start this fall, including a victory over then-No. 2 Miami in October. PHOTO COURTESY LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS