6 offensive coordinator candidates for Penn State
After another offensive performance that lacked explosion and creativity, leading to a 24-15 loss to Michigan on Saturday, Penn State head coach James Franklin reiterated that the offense must get better.
Not even 24 hours after the defeat, it was announced by Penn State that offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich was relieved of his duties early Sunday afternoon. Penn State confirmed that Ja'Juan Seider and Ty Howle will take over playcalling duties for the rest of the season.
The firing marks the third offensive coordinator that Franklin has fired in his ten years at State College. The next coordinator will be the sixth to coach under Franklin. Needless to say, this is a pivotal hire and could be Franklin’s last if this hire doesn’t pan out.
Let’s take a look at a very early shortlist (in no particular order) of possible candidates for the Nittany Lions.
Joe Moorhead, Akron head coach
Joe Moorhead is an old friend of Happy Valley and an automatic addition to any shortlist. Moorhead was the offensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions for two seasons (2016-2017) and increased the offensive production from 348.5 in 2015 to 432.6 in 2016. The 2016 season ended in a Big Ten championship for Penn State, and after the following season, Sports Illustrated named him the no. 1 rising assistant in college football.
The Pittsburgh native was hired by Mississippi State to become their head coach in November of 2017 and, after a brief stint as Oregon’s offensive coordinator, was named head coach at Akron. He was by far the most successful offensive coordinator under James Franklin and should be one of the first calls.
Sean Lewis, Colorado offensive cooridnator
Probably my favorite option on the list when you factor in availability, likelihood, and intrigue.
The former Kent State head coach left his job with the Golden Flashes to become Deion Sanders’ offensive coordinator in Colorado this season. Despite the Buffaloes’ offense’s strong start, Lewis was demoted a couple of weeks ago and is no longer the play-caller. It was a decision criticized by many considering the success earlier in the season, so it would make sense if Lewis is aiming for a new job this off-season where he can have more autonomy. He is also a proven recruiter.
Lewis is known for his fast-paced offense that pushes the ball down the field and gets his best players the ball in space. With a terrible offensive line and no running game, he still turned Colorado into one of the better offenses in the nation so the possibilities seem endless when you add in the talent he will have at Penn State. Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen would all thrive in Lewis’ system. Considering the situation in Boulder, he shouldn’t be hard to get.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills quarterback coach
The former LSU passing game coordinator on their title-winning team, who won the Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant, might be a longshot, but his success and connections to Penn State are at least worth a shot.
Currently serving as the Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach, Brady was a graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions in 2015 and 2016. He also served as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator under Matt Rhule. There is a debate about whether Brady would return to the college ranks after three years in the NFL, but he is familiar with Franklin so maybe there is a chance.
Ja'Juan Seider, Penn State co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach
Who says an interim can’t get the full-time job? Ja’Juan Seider has said before that he has a desire to become a head coach one day. He has at least two games to prove himself as an effective play-caller who can lead the offense. Seider is a talented recruiter who has a track record of talented running backs, including Miles Sanders, but he might be coming before his time, considering it is very likely James Franklin will go outside his current staff due to the magnitude of this hire. He will likely be a hot commodity for other coordinator positions in the offseason, but this hire would, for sure, help keep roster continuity intact.
Kliff Kingsbury, USC offensive analyst
James Franklin swung big when he hired Manny Diaz after he was fired from Miami, but this would be a huge swing. Kingsbury is currently an offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach at USC under Lincoln Riley. He has loads of experience, including head coaching gigs at Texas Tech and with the Arizona Cardinals.
Happy Valley and Penn State would be completely different scenery for him as a Texas guy, but he is worth a call. Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Johnny Manziel were all developed by Kinsbury so it is enticing to imagine what he good do to help Drew Allar improve. A long shot, but worth a try.
Andy Ludwig, Utah offensive coordinator
Ludwig has run a very productive and consistent offense in his four years at Utah after a few years of bouncing around. He almost left for Notre Dame last season and will most likely entertain offers again this year. The Utes offense has scored 30 points in 34 games under Ludwig, and after churning out a good season without his starting quarterback, he could be looking to make the jump to a team with a lot of returning talent.
Franklin must nail this hire, and it better be a home run because the Penn State fans are looking for improvement, not a regression on the offensive side of the ball. The talent is mostly there, and now you just need a coach who can make it click.
