SEC school locks in potential Penn State coaching candidate

Penn State's coaching search to replace James Franklin seems to be losing out on a number of names thrown into the wild by the day. On Thanksgiving, a trendy name in the coaching search rumor mill may ahve been taken off the board.

Missouri announced it has signed head coach Eli Drinkwitz to a contract extension that will run through the 2031 season. With it comes an increase in pay for the head coach and the financial commitment to the football program's staff and program.

Drinkwitz had been considered a name on the rise for the Penn State job by some. Instead, Penn State athletics director Pat Kraft will move on wiht his search for a new head coach without another potential option from the SEC. Vanderbilt also locked in its head coach, Clark Lea, and Texas A&M secured Mike Elko with new contracts as well.

Some other names thrown into the Penn State coaching search early on, Curt Cignetti of Indiana and Matt Rhule of Nebraska, have also agreed to new contracts with their current schools, likely removing them from the picture in Happy Valley.

With so many names seemingly coming off the board, this could be a good development for interim head coach Terry Smith. Smith has gained vocal support from some prominent members of the Penn State football family, including former teammates and current players, and some alumni are stumping for his candidacy to be the next permanent head coach of the Nittany Lions. Smith will coach Penn State this weekend with a chance to clinch bowl eligibility for this season. Penn State must beat Rutgers on the road to clinch a spot in a postseason bowl game.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State coaching search: Missouri locks in Eli Drinkwitz