Penn State’s long and drawn-out coaching search has gone from quietly confident to publicly embarrassing in a matter of days.

Athletic director Pat Kraft, after missing on his top target, BYU’s Kalani Sitake, is now the subject of scrutiny. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm said no on Wednesday, becoming the latest in a long list of coaches who leveraged Penn State’s interest to secure a contract extension.

After firing James Franklin on Oct. 12, Penn State was the top job on the market. But days and weeks have come and gone, LSU, Florida, Auburn and others have opened and closed, and the Nittany Lions are still left searching.

As a result, FootballScoop reported that other high-level members of Penn State’s administration have taken a larger role in this search, which did not hire a third-party firm.

So, after all this turmoil and an almost-empty early signing day, where will Kraft and Co. turn next to find Franklin’s replacement?

Let’s take a look at candidates who, as of Thursday morning, are options that could make sense for Penn State.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State: If you told me when Franklin was hired that Campbell would be his replacement, I’d say, “Job well done, Pat.” So it’s curious that he wasn’t a bigger player earlier in the process. But Campbell has turned Iowa State, a forever loser, into a consistent winner. The 46-year-old has a 50-40 record with the Cyclones in Big 12 play, doing more with less year after year. In 15 years at Iowa State and Toledo, he has a 107-70 record. Campbell is a culture guy, preaching a five-star mindset while developing mid-level recruits. Fans would gravitate toward Campbell, who has drawn interest from the NFL in the past.

Manny Diaz, Duke: Penn State’s defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 was a candidate early in the process and could pick up steam again. Kraft is uniquely familiar with Diaz. Before working with him at Penn State, Kraft hired him as Temple’s AD in Dec. 2018 … only for Diaz to leave and take the Miami job days later. Diaz, who has a 37-24 record in five seasons at Miami and Duke, is well-respected by players and staff and could retain key pieces.

Dan Mullen, UNLV: Mullen hasn’t really been a player in this search. But gut check, it’s someone Penn State could kick the tires on. The Drexel Hill native and Ursinus letterman was a candidate before Penn State hired Bill O’Brien in 2011. Mullen had a 103-61 record at Mississippi State and Florida from 2009-21 before taking a few years off to join ESPN as an analyst. Mullen returned to the coaching ranks this season, going 10-2 at UNLV.

Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers: Hafley, Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, has a history with Kraft, working together at Boston College from 2020-22. Hafley, a New Jersey native with experience at Pitt and Rutgers, is familiar with the region. The 46-year-old is a bright mind and a good coach. But Hafley left BC for the NFL in part because of today’s college football landscape. Would he leave the NFL and playoff team to return to the NIL world?

Brian Daboll, free agent: Speaking of NFL coaches, the recently-fired New York Giants coach is a legitimate candidate. Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde confirmed Daboll was in the mix after Penn State missed out on Brohm on Wednesday. Daboll has one real year of college experience as Alabama’s OC in 2017, earning him an endorsement for the job from Nick Saban. Daboll was employed under Penn State donor Terry Pegula as the Buffalo Bills’ OC from 2018-21. Then, he went 20-40-1 as the Giants’ coach from 2022 until his dismissal last month. Daboll is available. But would he work as a college head coach? There would be doubts.

Terry Smith, Penn State: Smith has the support of some vocal current players and lettermen. The interim coach with a 3-3 record has the support of some fans, especially after wearing a “409” button during the Nebraska game. And he has support of some donors, according to a Wednesday report from on3. The beloved assistant has been a key recruiter and clearly has some pull. But the concern is he has no experience running a program outside of an emotional, temporary stretch. Optically and realistically, hiring Smith — going through an extensive search to hire Franklin’s top assistant, after early signing day, no less — would be an admission that Kraft’s mission was a failure. Still, Smith is in the building and in the mix.