DEVELOPING: Franklin Not In Happy Valley Yet... (UPDATED w/7PM Announcement...???)

OSG Sports sources close to the situation at Vanderbilt seem to contradict what Pennsylvania is saying...

Dirty South Sports Report's Jackson Martin is telling us that no one at Vanderbilt- players, coaches, sports information department included- have heard anything about an impending decision for Franklin going back home to take the head coaching gig at Penn State...

Earlier today, ESPN's Brett McMurphy discussed the idea with Jay Crawford that Franklin seems to be going north...


Greg Roman, Mike Munchak, and Al Golden are also candidates...

More when we know more...

1505 UPDATE: Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean has word from campus via his Twitter...

#Vandy AD David Williams on James Franklin and Penn St. reports: "As of 1:45 p.m. Central, he is still Vanderbilt's football coach.''

1750 UPDATE: From Cory Curtis at WKRN-TV and his Twitter...

Source tells us Vanderbilt expects Penn State to make announcement by 7 PM.

Our Jackson Martin still maintains that no one on campus has any Franklin-based answers on a change of address or a lack of one... so, we'll go with that until we hear otherwise...

Mike Munchak Fired By Titans After All

So, the rumors of Mike Munchak sticking with the Tennessee Titans were just that: rumors.

The Titans made it official on Saturday, announcing they've fired Munchak after 3 seasons at the helm.

Munchak leaves with a 22-26 record, but the part that gave the Titans pause was the team was not getting better. They by no means were the worst team in the NFL, but they never showed improvement and did not make the playoffs in any of Munchak's 3-years.

There are rumors circulating that Munchak was told in order to keep the job, he needed to overhaul his coaching staff. And supposedly, he wouldn't do it. But nobody has been able to confirm that actually happened.

He's also been connected with the head coaching job at his alma mater--Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been narrowing the candidate field with word leaking out yesterday that University of Miami head coach Al Golden will interview for the job, as will--allegedly, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.

We are guessing Munchak will be added to that list.

Penn St Narrows Coaching Field: Golden and Others To Interview (Update: Golden Offered or Not)

UPDATE 5:00pm 1/3/14:

CaneSport.com reports Al Golden has been offered the Penn State job. If so, take what you read after the CaneSport tweet, with a grain of salt....

CaneSport has confirmed that Al Golden has been offered the head coaching job at Penn State. While expected to take it, no word yet from Al
— CaneSport (@CaneSport) January 3, 2014

However other reports say no. That it hasn't happened.

This isn't what they mean by casual Friday you guys. RT @djoneshoop NO ONE has been offered job. Report was wrong.
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) January 3, 2014

So who do you believe?
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Earlier Story:

So who is it? Al Golden? James Franklin or Mike Munchak?

It depends we guess, on who's website or "expert" you believe in...

Reports are flying fast and furious that Penn State is quickly closing in on a new head coach.

The latest report....it comes from ESPN.com's Joe Schad who says University of Miami head coach Al Golden (a Penn State alum) has agreed to an interview:

Penn State source said Al Golden agreed to speak about the opening as early as today because "It would be coming home."
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 3, 2014

And, there's more...

CoachingSearch.com, a very well connected website with lots of inside scoop on coaching moves, reports that Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin will be interviewed on Sunday.

Read that in their daily ticker RIGHT HERE

And ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy adds that Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak, also an alum, and currently still in charge of the Titans, is also going to be interviewed for the gig.

So, does any of this make sense to you?

Golden, does because of his ties. And his apparent love for his alma mater. This despite an arguably better job with a very high profile team.

Franklin however does NOT make sense. Yes, he's from the area, but why would he leave an SEC team that he's had huge success with to take another rebuilding job? Sure, that SEC job is Vanderbilt and yes, Franklin's name comes up for every high profile job. But we just don't think this one makes sense.

As for Munchak, much like Golden, he makes some sense. He's got ties, he's now got the coaching experience. No, he hasn't been incredibly successful with the Titans, but he hasn't been a failure either. You don't often hear of NFL coaches with jobs stepping back, but the Titans are still evaluating Munchak's job and whether or not he'll still have it next season.

Expect something to happen fairly quick. We're guessing Penn State will wait until after Monday's BCS title game to make the announcement, unless it leaks first. But we are very confident it will happen soon and one of these guys is likely to be the hire.

Penn State really wants Chris Peterson

Chris Peterson

((ht: pennlive.com))

But the Penn State faithful are also slightly delusional.

According to reports in the Happy Valley area, Penn State has put the full-court press on Boise State coach Chris Peterson, hoping to entice him to come save their team.

PennLive.com reports emissaries from Penn State have made two trips out to the hinterlands of Idaho in search of Peterson and may or may not have met with him. And yes, they've returned without him.

Read more from Pennlive.com's David Jones RIGHT HERE

If you read the whole story, its hard to tell what is more unrealistic: The pursuit of Peterson or the mention of Mike Munchak, coach of the Tennessee Titans as Plan B. Peterson has made it known...repeatedly he isn't leaving the West, Munchak, while no threat to be coach of the year, has the Titans playing respectable football.

The folks in Pennsylvania need to come to grips with the fact the aren't getting an "A" list coach. And no, they should not give the job to interim coach Tom Bradley either. Part of the problem up there seems to be they don't understand that a large part of the game has passed them by.

The target should be assistants such as Green Bay Packers assistant Tom Clements or one of the other names in the PennLive article.

That isn't reaching for the stars. That is being realistic with your place in the world.