Early favorite emerges to replace fired James Franklin

There’s an early favorite to be the next Penn State football coach. 

Nebraska’s Matt Rhule is a 50 percent favorite to replace the fired James Franklin in Happy Valley, according to Kalshi, a New York-based financial exchange and prediction market. 

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, who helped the Hoosiers to a massive win over Oregon on Saturday to stay undefeated, has the second-best chance at the job at 29 percent. 

No market has developed for any other candidates as of this writing. 

With it opening on Monday afternoon, there hasn’t been much time for the market to develop, meaning odds could soon look very different if more money comes in. 

As of Tuesday evening, the market has attracted just $428 in bets at Kalshi.

The Nittany Lions are reportedly going big game hunting in their coaching search after firing Franklin following a third straight loss on Saturday to fall to 3-3. 

On3 reported Tuesday that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is a top target for the university. 

As mentioned, no money had been put down on Freeman as of Tuesday evening. 

Two big names were essentially ruled out by On3. 

Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer “are not serious candidates,” the outlet added.

Franklin went 104-45 over 12 seasons as Penn State’s head coach, tying him for the second-winningest coach in the history of the football program.

Betting on College Football?

Associate head coach Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season as the school searches for a new leader of the program.

The Nittany Lions will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday in the first game of the post-Franklin era.