Tag: JaJuan Seider

Former Penn State coordinator Joe Moorhead addresses uncertain head coaching future

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is just 8-28 in three seasons at Akron. Could he be looking for work in 2025?

Former Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Moorhead[/autotag] could be in some interesting waters as the college football coaching carousel swings into full motion. With Akron’s season in the books following a 4-8 season, head coach Moorhead faces questions he may not be able to answer about his future with the program.

Moorhead has said he is focusing on preparing for the offseason as if he will be back in charge of the Akron program in 2025, but leadership changes and a disappointing overall coaching record in three years could take the decision out of his hands. Moorhead has commented on the state of the resources available to his program as he addressed his future.

“What I’ve learned enough in this business is you never say never,” Moorhead said following Akron’s regular-season finale earlier this week, per Football Scoop. “I don’t have a crystal ball, I’m just excited about what we’ve been able to do, and come in here despite the resources – or lack thereof – that we are provided, that we have been able to fight, and scratch, and claw and first become incredibly competitive, and now find a way to win.”

Moorhead spent two seasons coaching the Penn State offense after being named offensive coordinator in 2016. He left behind his role as head coach at Fordham and quickly helped elevate the Penn State offense to help win a Big Ten championship with players like Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorely, Chris Godwin, and Mike Gesicki at his disposal.

After two seasons as offensive coordinator at Penn State, Moorhead returned to head coaching when Mississippi State made an offer. Moorhead spent two seasons as head coach at Mississippi State but was fired at the end of the 2019 season. He then went to Oregon to be the offensive coordinator of the Ducks for two seasons before getting a chance to be the head coach at Akron in 2022.

Moorhead won two games in each of his first two seasons with the Zips and doubled the win total this season to sit at just 8-28 as head coach at Akron.

Penn State could be in a spot where it could potentially need a new offensive coordinator. [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] is a name being thrown around for some possible head coaching opportunities, and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] could be getting a head coaching opportunity soon too. If both happen to leave, would Franklin work to bring Moorhead back to Happy Valley?

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College football coaching rumors: Penn State assistant on the radar for head coaching job

Will this weekend be the final game coached by Ja’Juan Seider at Penn State?

The college football coaching carousel is up and running and it would not be a shocker to see an assistant on Penn State’s staff to get some calls. One assistant reportedly on the radar for a head coaching job is co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag].

As reported by Football Scoop, Seider has been on the list of potential candidates to fill a head coaching vacancy at FAU. FAU fired Tom Herman as head coach following a loss to Temple last week as the FAU Owls fell to a disappointing record of 2-8. Herman was just 6-16 in his two seasons with the program.

Seider would check off a number of bullet points that would make for an attractive coaching hire for the FAU program. Seider is a Florida native who played a season at Florida A&M following time at West Virginia. He started his coaching career as a high school coach in Florida before getting into the college ranks, including a season as a running backs coach for Florida before moving to Penn State for the past seven seasons. Seider has put in his time as an assistant and gained valuable experience under Franklin, and his time to become a head coach may have arrived.

Seider is not necessarily considered a favorite for the FAU job, but he is clearly a name to watch. FAU likely won’t be hiring a head coach from somewhere else, so a rising offensive coordinator type seems to fit the ideal mold for what the program is looking for. Football Scoop also mentions SMU offensive line coach Garin Justice as a candidate for the job.

It is expected FAU will be ready to hire a head coach in the next week. The timing of that would seem to make some sense given that Penn State and SMU will be wrapping up their respective regular seasons this weekend. SMU will be playing in the ACC championship game next week, and there is still a chance Penn State could be playing for a Big Ten title next week. Penn State appears to be firmly in position to play in the upcoming College Football Playoff, while SMU may need to win the ACC to secure a playoff spot.

So is Seider coaching his final game with the Nittany L:iosn this weekend at home against Maryland? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure. We’ll be watching this particular coaching search with great interest as Seider could be getting his opportunity like a number of former Penn State assistants have received.

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Four-star CB Antonio Branch commits to Penn State

Penn State is on a roll with another four-star cornerback in the Class of 2025 with Antonio Branch.

It’s been a good week so far for Penn State on the recruiting trail after suffering a couple rough defeats in the battle for top targets in the 2025 class and beyond.

However, that’s not going to stop James Franklin and his staff from turning the page and going after others who they want to get into their program.

The run this week started with four-star cornerback from New Jersey, Jahmir Joseph, verbally committing to the Nittany Lions, and they have now landed their second commitment of the week in four-star defensive back [autotag]Antonio Branch[/autotag].

The Florida native is listed as a cornerback in his class but is likely going to become a safety at the next level as he’s already 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds heading into his senior high school season.

This is a big win for Penn State.

He took an official visit to Happy Valley the weekend of May 31 and that left enough of an impression on him to decided this was the program for him.

Branch talked about the relationships he established with the coaching staff during his process, and that became even more prevalent when he was on campus.

The four-star decided to cancel his official visit with the University of Florida when he cut his list of schools down to three, leaving Penn State to battle it out between Louisville and Nebraska.

Branch is scheduled to take an official visit to Louisville this upcoming weekend, but there is no word if that has been cancelled following his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions.

This marks another win for Franklin and his staff down in Florida as they have really been able to land some top talent coming out of that state. The connections [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] and new defensive coordinator [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag] have in the state should only allow them to continue recruiting that area well.

Branch’s commitment now brings Penn State’s 2025 class up to 16 players.

Current Penn State coaches that could be a fit as Boston College’s next head coach

Could any of these Penn State assistants be a candidate for the Boston College vacancy?

The college football world received quite the surprise last night when Boston College Head Coach Jeff Hafley left his position to return to the NFL. He accepted the recently vacant defensive coordinator job of the Green Bay Packers, ending a four-year run with BC. It’s not often a Power Five school has a HC opening this far after the season, so finding a replacement is slightly trickier than usual.

Could this news affect Penn State? Head Coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] isn’t going anywhere of course, but two coaches on his staff have built strong resumes that could make them candidates for the BC job.

Let’s start with Penn State Associate Head Coach [autotag]Terry M. Smith[/autotag]. Smith has been instrumental to the Nittany Lions success in his nine years on the staff. He not only is their defensive recruiting coordinator but also the defensive backs coach. His ability to find and recruit elite defenders has turned Penn State into a consistent top-10 defense in the NCAA. He has also developed multiple defensive backs that made the jump to the NFL, with even more on the way this season.

Jeff Hafley himself is a defensive-minded coach with a specialty in defensive backs, so it may be too similar of a hire for BC to make. If they would be willing to overlook that, however, Smith could be due for a chance as the head man.

Another potential candidate is Penn State Assistant Head Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag]. He has built a reputation as a strong recruiter and running backs coach, as well as helping with the offensive game planning the past two seasons. He would be a far departure from Hafley and could help breathe life into an offense that hasn’t been up to par the past few years.

It would be a big blow for Penn State to lose either Smith or Seider, but it would also be a testament to the staff that James Franklin has built. We should find out soon if either are in the running.

Penn State has hired Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, per reports

The search for Penn State’s next offensive coordinator is reportedly over!

It seems as though the search for Penn State’s next offensive coordinator has come to an end. While no official statement has come from Penn State just yet, it is being widely reported that Penn State has hired Kansas offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] to fill the vacancy on Penn State’s coaching staff for the same position.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic was among the first to report the news, via X (formerly known as Twitter). His initial report was confirmed by a couple of other reputable reporters, including Adam Rittenberg of ESPN and Brett McMurphy of The Action Network. It was reported earlier this week James Franklin had a meeting with Kotelnicki, who is considered a hot name in the coaching carousel at this moment. It is also reported that Kotelnicki has a desire to one day be a head coach, and it is worth noting Franklin has had three coordinators in recent years go on to become a head coach (Joe Moorhead, Ricky Rahne, and Brent Pry).

Kotelnicki has been a key member of the coaching staff led by Kansas head coach Lance Leipold since Leipold’s time with Division 3 powerhouse Wisconsin-Whitewater. Leipold hired Kotelnick to be his offensive coordinator at Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2013, after Kotelnicki spent two seasons with Division 2 University of Mary. Kotelnicki followed Leipold to Buffalo in 2015 and continued to serve in the role of offensive coordinator for six seasons with the Bulls. When Leipold left Buffalo to take the Kansas coaching job, Kotelnicki followed him to Lawrence.

Kotelnicki has helped transform the entire offensive identity at Kansas. Kansas had the nation’s 126th-ranked total offense out of 127 in the FBS during the 2020 season and the 90th-ranked total offense in 2019, the last season before the pandemic impacted the 2020 season. With Kotelnicki running the offense, Kansas has seen its total offensive rank jump from 114th in 2021 up to 29th this season.

For the sake of comparison, Penn State’s total offensive ranks were 82nd in 2020, 34th in 2021 (2 behind Kansas), and 62nd this season.

Kotelnicki will replace [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag], who was let go a day after Penn State lost at home to Michigan late in the regular season. [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Howle[/autotag] have split the playcalling duties on offense in the last two games of the season, and it may be safe to expect both to continue calling the offensive plays for Penn State’s upcoming bowl game, with Kotelnicki likely to run the Jayhawks offense for their bowl game. But those details remain unconfirmed and are just speculation at this stage.

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6 offensive coordinator candidates for Penn State

Six suggestions for Penn State’s new offensive coordinator.

After another offensive performance that lacked explosion and creativity, leading to a 24-15 loss to Michigan on Saturday, Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] 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 [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] was relieved of his duties early Sunday afternoon. Penn State confirmed that [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Howle[/autotag] 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.

Penn State fires offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich

Penn State makes a rare major in-season coaching staff change after losing to Michigan.

After a frustrating loss at home to the Michigan Wolverines showcased Penn State’s inability to create any consistent offensive pressure, the Nittany Lions have reportedly made a major coaching staff change on Sunday. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] has reportedly been removed from the staff. Jon Sauber of the Centre Daily Times was among the first to report the news of this significant coaching staff change on Sunday afternoon.

According to a report from Football Scoop, co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] is expected to take over the offensive playcalling for the remainder of the season. This would make the most sense for now. Whether James Franklin keeps Seider as his primary offensive coordinator in 2024 will remain to be seen.

UPDATE: Penn State has officially confirmed the removal of Yurcich as offensive coordinator and has confirmed Seider and [autotag]Ty Howle[/autotag] will take over interim offensive coordinator duties for the remainder of the season.

Yurcich joined the Penn State coaching staff as the offensive coordinator in 2021 after one season in the same role at Texas. Yurcich became available following a head coaching change at Texas and it was thought to be a solid addition to the coaching staff. Yurcich, a former offensive coordinator at Shippensburg, Edinboro, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State, was in his third season with the Nittany Lions and a significant reason why [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] committed to the program. Despite being in his first season as Penn State’s starting quarterback, the offense overall has seemingly been stuck in neutral and unable to show any signs of improvement in the past three years despite a supposed upgrade in roster talent.

Penn State’s offense still managed to be effective against most opponents well enough to not have to worry about a game’s result, but the failings of the offense against legitimate Big Ten contenders and top-ranked teams were exposed on an annual basis against Ohio State and Michigan. In Yurcich’s three seasons as the offensive coordinator, Penn State went 0-6 against the Buckeyes and Wolverines, and the lack of offensive consistency was a primary factor in those outings, especially this season.

Penn State makes the offensive coordinator change with the Nittany Lions ranked 74th nationally in total offense, 46th in rushing offense, and 90th in passing offense.

Penn State will now look for a new offensive coordinator, which will be the sixth under head James Franklin at Penn State.

Penn State has two remaining regular season games. The Nittany Lions will host Rutgers this week for a noon Eastern kickoff on FS1 on Saturday, Nov. 18.

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The importance of Ja’Juan Seider in Penn State’s recruiting efforts

Penn State assistant Ja’Juan Seider continues to be a master recruiter with recent additions to the program.

Penn State has found itself blazing along the recruiting trail in recent weeks and people have noticed both inside and outside college football. For the Nittany Lions, the mastermind behind their success lies within the multi-talented [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag].

Seider serves as the running backs coach, co-offensive coordinator, and assistant head coach on James Franklin’s staff. Despite all those roles he is also serving as a master recruiter, with 247Sports recognizing Seider for his efforts as the Big Ten recruiter of the year for the 2023 cycle validating his worth on the staff.

The sixth-year coach came to Penn State to serve as just the running backs coach, a role he served previously at Florida, West Virginia, and Marshall. Seider played college football at West Virginia and was a sixth-round draft pick in the 2000 NFL draft. His NFL career never made its way off the ground but he has excelled as a coach at every stop he has been.

In recent years, specifically in 2023, Seider has been able to flex his recruiting muscle by landing players such as [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag], [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag], and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. All three players have made an immediate impact as freshmen and are poised for much larger impacts and definitive roles for the remaining years they are Nittany Lions.

After helping to land commitments from Singleton and Allen in the Class of 2023, Seider and Penn State were challenged to pad the depth at running back this offseason following the departure of Keyvone Lee. All Penn State has done since is add veteran running back Trey Potts out of the transfer portal from Minnesota and land one of the top running back prospects in the Class of 2024, Kiandre Barker. Seider played a huge role in both efforts.

Whatever success this team has it will be equally distributed but recognizing the work of Seider and the eye for the talent he has can’t go unnoticed. After recognizing talent he then has shown an ability to coach it up and that is a priceless trait for anyone and as long as he is on Franklin’s staff.

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Ja’Juan Seider teases what to expect from running game against Purdue

Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider seems excited to see what the Nittany Lions running backs will do in 2022.

For Penn State, the running game is going to be the straw that stirs the drink for this team’s offense.

When speaking to 247Sports this week, running backs coach [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] discussed how the team is planning to use the group of running backs they have this season. He acknowledged they will be using a committee.

“You can almost go into every year and have a good idea that we’re probably gonna play more than one back,” Seider said.

With [autotag]Devyn Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Keyvone Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] all on the roster, the team has some tough decisions to make with carries. For coach Seider, he wants to see all of them in Week One.

Seider even offered a glimpse into what to expect in the season opener at Purdue next week.

“[You’ll] see four backs playing at some point in this game, and I’m not saying they’re all gonna be in the backfield,” Seider teased.

That approach makes the most sense but it also provides the best attack. This team doesn’t want Sean Clifford passing 25-plus times a game. Utilizing all four backs while also keeping each one fresh may be the best approach until someone separates themselves from the pack.

Among the four backs Penn State fans should expect to see will include a pair of freshmen, Singleton and Allen. Seider is excited about what those two bring to the table.

“The two freshmen are gonna play,” Seider said in the interview. “I’m high on them, very high.”

These two guys are going to change the direction of this program when it is all said and done.

Penn State opens the 2022 season on Thursday, September 1 at Purdue. The game will be broadcast nationally by FOX.

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This Penn State assistant is staying put after pursuits by Florida, FSU

Despite pursuits by Florida and FSU, Ja’Juan Seider will reportedly stay at Penn State to try fixing the running game in 2022

There has been a handful of changes to the football staff this offseason the coaching carousel whisking defensive coordinator Brent Pry to Virginia Tech to be a head coach, special teams coordinator Joe Lorig moving closer to home for the same position at Oregon, long-time strength and condition coach Dwight Galt retiring and key staff member Michael Hazel leaving to join Pry at Virginia Tech. But not every member of James Franklin’s staff is leaving Happy Valley.

According to a report from Matt Zenitz of On3, running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider will not leave Penn State for another coaching opportunity at this time. Seider, according to Zenitz, had been a target of Florida State to be a co-offensive coordinator. But that’s not the only school down south that had pursued Seider this offseason. The Florida Gators were looking to bring Seider to the SEC.

Seider, a Florida native, came to Penn State from the Florida Gators program. Seider was Florida’s run game coordinator for one season in 2017, after a four-year run at West Virginia, his second stint with the Mountaineers (Seider coached at Marshal for three seasons in between runs with West Virginia.

Seider, along with offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, will have a big task on his hand in 2022 now that he s set to return to the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s running game was lackluster throughout the entire 2021 season. Despite having three players appear on the Doak Walker Award watch list prior to the start of the season, Penn State managed to play 13 games without having any player on the roster record a 100-yard rushing game.

Much of that can fall on the performance of the offensive line, but Seider will be responsible for doing what he needs to do to have Penn State’s running backs ready to not allow that to happen again. With Noah Cain and Keyvone Lee back in 2022 and with the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Nicholas Singleton heading to campus in the Class of 2022, talent should not be a concern for Seider and Penn State. The concern will be the execution of the running game.

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