Tag: Ja’Juan Seider

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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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.

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.

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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