The Zeitgeist List · coaching
Penn State: a coaching history
See Penn State’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Program GOAT
Joe Paterno
0 Dynasty · 16 Blue-Blood seasons
Built by
Joe Paterno
Power Program II → Blue Blood (+25.2)
The fall
Rip Engle
Power Program III → Power Program II (−6.3)
Right now
James Franklin
the 2nd-best of Penn State's 4 coaches so far
James Franklin is the 2nd-best of Penn State's 4 coaches so far.
Stature & coaches, 1936–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
Every coach
2014–now
James Franklincaretaker
Power Program I
101–42
1966–2011
Joe Paternotransformer
+25.2
409–136
1950–1965
Rip Englecaretaker
+10.2
104–48
1936–1948
Bob Higginscaretaker
Power Program III
73–29