Tag: Mike Yurcich

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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5 reasons Penn State will beat Rutgers this Saturday

Here are five reasons to expect Penn State to get a rebound win this weekend against Rutgers.

Coming off a frustrating and disappointing loss to Michigan on Saturday, Penn State is looking for a bounce-back performance against Rutgers at Beaver Stadium this Saturday. The offense, especially the passing game, was the major disappointment against the Wolverines, as Drew Allar and company could only muster 70 yards through the air. Mike Yurcich’s firing last Sunday makes this weekend even more intriguing for the Nittany Lions’ offense and how they look with new play callers.

The Scarlett Knights are no slouches when it comes to pass defense, ranking 9th in the nation in yards per game (166.2). Rutgers doesn’t present a considerable challenge to offensively ranking in the bottom four of the Big Ten in yards per game (310.5). The Scarlett Knights are also coming off a defeat after getting shutout by Iowa last weekend.

With FanDuel listing Penn State as a 20.5-point favorite against Rutgers, we look at five reasons the Nittany Lions get back into the win column.

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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James Franklin credits Mike Yurcich for ‘not getting bored’ calling plays against Iowa

James Franklin credits his offensive coordinator for not getting bored calling plays against Iowa.

Any time Penn State and Iowa get together, things tend to slow down. The two teams have a history of playing some tough defensive games over the years, and Saturday night’s top-25 matchup in front of a whiteout crowd was no exception. But Penn State managed to find something that worked on offense and head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] gave credit to his offensive coordinator, [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag], for sticking to something that wasn’t exactly explosive but incredibly effective.

“I thought Mike did a really good job of calling and not getting bored against an Iowa defense who is damn good and not get bored of the plays that were consistently getting us five to six yards and coming back to them,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference. “Don’t get bored with them. Keep coming back to them until they prove that they can stop it.”

Why stop doing something that is clearly working, right?

Penn State had 397 yards of total offense and chewed up a little over 45 minutes of game clock on a wet and damp night in Happy Valley. It was the kind of weather where Iowa could have taken advantage of the situation a bit more had they not been going up against the Nittany Lions defense. As the defense did its job, Yurcich and the offense didn’t feel too many needs to force anything into existence. Instead, an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt was just fine.

After leading 10-0 at halftime, Franklin and Yurcich and the rest of the coaching staff got together to figure out what adjustments needed to be made. Fortunately for Penn State, not a lot needed to change.

“I thought we were able to stay on schedule,” Franklin explained. “You look at the two biggest stats of playing an Iowa team. First, our first down efficiency for both sides, our offensive efficiency, our defense’s efficiency, getting them off schedule. We were able to stay on schedule, for the most part. We were able to get them off schedule. That was a big stat.”

Penn State improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play with the 31-0 victory over the Hawkeyes. All of this early success has been fueled by stellar defense but sophomore starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] has played confidently and with poise. Penn State has yet to lose a turnover, which is a credit to Yurcich and how he is running the offense so far this season.

Penn State looks to remain undefeated next week when they visit Northwestern in Week 5.

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Offensive keys to victory against Iowa

What does Penn State’s offense need to do to beat Iowa in Week 4?

Penn State is coming off a shaky offensive performance in their first Big Ten action last Saturday.

They still put up 30 points on the board, but it should have been a lot more considering all the possessions they had and the short fields the defense gave them.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] struggled in his first road start, finishing the game 16-33 for 208 yards and zero touchdowns.

The two star running backs ended the game with 91 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game hasn’t felt as dominate as they have been in the past.

They’ll have another challenge facing an Iowa team who has a defensive identity and knows they need to show up with their undermanned offense dealing with injuries.

Here are the three offensive keys to victory for Penn State on Saturday.

The first is to establish the running game.

Forget what has happened in the past and trust that the elite running unit of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will explode at some point. The offensive line needs to do a better job of getting a push and creating running lanes. Doing that in this game will be vital in making sure the offense sustains successful drives.

The second is to make life easy on the quarterback.

Much of this falls in the lap of offensive coordinate [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag]. It’s his job to scheme open receivers who have had trouble separating so that [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] can get them the ball. That did not happen against Illinois and it needs to happen in this game. Wide receivers also have to catch the ball when it’s thrown to them. Drops were drive killers last week and can’t continue moving forward.

The third key is to limit turnovers.

Penn State is one of two Power 5 programs, along with Oregon, who haven’t turned the ball over this season. It’s way too much to ask for them to continue that over the course of the entire year, but limiting turnovers against Iowa is a must. Their defense feasts on takeaways and will be one of the only ways their team can generate offense in this game. Not giving Iowa life through cheap turnovers is major key on Saturday.

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Penn State OC Mike Yurcich is making a big change to how he calls games this season

This one big change for Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich could be a difference-maker in 2023.

Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will look to do what he feels needs to be done in order to put the Penn State offense in the best possible position to win. And in order to do that, Yurcich is making a move from the sidelines up to the coaches box.

Entering his third season as the offensive coordinator at Penn State, Yurcich will move up to the coaches box to get a bigger overview of the field and the action after coaching form the sidelines the past couple of seasons. Head coach James Franklin says it is one of the things about this season he is most excited about.

“As an offensive coordinator, specifically, there’s no better place to call the game than in the booth,” Franklin said when meeting with reporters during his regularly scheduled press availability this week. “Controlled environment, you’ve got your notes out. You can see it all. You’re not relying on somebody else to echo information to you that maybe you can’t see across the field. The corners’ alignment, the far safety’s alignment. You’re able to rely on your vision and your information.”

Franklin suggested one of the reasons Yurcich will make the move up to the sideline is his trust in other members of the offensive coaching staff that will reside on the sideline. Rather than shoulder the responsibility of managing as many aspects as possible in person on the sideline, Yurcich can focus more on the overall effectiveness of the offense while position coaches and other assistants take care of matters on the sidelines.

“I also think it’s Mike’s respect for our staff and our assistant coaches that there are strong voices, including [Danny O’Brien] on the sideline, to manage that,” Franklin explained.

“But I think it’s ultimately Mike saying, ‘Where can I be the best offensive coordinator? Where can I call the best game?’ It’s from the booth,” Franklin added. “I was onboard because as an offensive play-caller, I don’t think it’s even close. I think it’s the best place to call the game from.”

Yurcich will begin this new method this week when Penn State hosts West Virginia in the season opener for both teams. Penn State hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

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James Franklin continues to say there’s a QB competition at Big Ten Media Day

James Franklin continues to say that there’s at QB competition between Drew Allar and Beau Pribula at Big Ten Media Day

After the graduation of [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], many Penn State fans felt that it would be a simple passing of the torch from the program’s most prolific passer to the five-star prospect [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

After all, Allar had seen time during the 2022-23 season even when Clifford was healthy.

Early in the offseason, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] mentioned that there was a quarterback competition between the five-star sophomore and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag]. It seemed liked it was classic “coach speak” where the head coach is looking to motivate position groups throughout the spring and summer.

However, he kept the same tune throughout the lead up to the Blue-White Game. When Allar out performed Pribula during the game, once again, many expected the competition talks to be put to bed.

Franklin kept them alive during Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday.

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“Obviously everybody wants to talk about quarterback. We’re still in a competition phase. Obviously there’s a lot of people talking about Drew [Allar] and what he brings to the table,” Franklin said at Big Ten media day.

Franklin continued by saying, “So I understand why the excitement is there, 6’5″, 242 pounds, can make all the throws, but Beau Pribula is a guy that everybody in the program has a ton of respect for as well. So that’s going to be an interesting competition throughout the entire camp.”

Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] will be involved in the decision-making as well and is evaluating the play of the quarterbacks.

“We grade everything in every practice, so all the data will be there,” Franklin said. “Obviously, you’re going to trust your gut and your instincts on those things, as well, but you have the data to back it up.”

With the home opener just over five weeks away, there has not been a timetable set on when the decision will be made.

“Obviously, the sooner, the better,” he said. “But we’re not going to rush any of these decisions at any of these positions.”

The quarterback saga continues to roll one into camp, whether Penn State fans like it or not.

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Mike Yurcich makes grand entrance for recruiting trip

LOOK: Penn State offensive coordinator makes recruiting visit by helicopter

What is the best way to make an entrance when hitting the recruiting trail and scouting potential future Nittany Lions? By arriving in a helicopter near a football field, of course! A number of coaches have been using helicopters to make quick recruiting visits over the years, and Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich joined in that fun this week to check out a quarterback recruit in Ohio.

Yurcich arrived by helicopter to check out four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery, a Class of 2025 target from Findlay, Ohio. And because a trip to Findlay isn’t that far from State College, there was no need to take a jet for the flight. So arriving by chopper seems practical. It also dazzles every time it happens.

Montgomery has long been on Penn State’s recruiting radar and he is clearly among the top priorities for the Class of 2025. Montgomery made an unofficial visit to Penn State in July 2021 and left his visit with a scholarship offer. Montgomery made a return trip to State College in September 2021 and again in April 2022. Since then, many more schools have jumped into the recruiting effort for Montgomery including Florida, Miami, Georgia, and more.

Penn State has three commitments in the Class of 2025 already with offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews, running back Kiandrea Barker, and safety Omari Gaines. Penn State’s Class of 2025 currently ranks third in the nation according to the latest 247Sports composite ranking this far out.

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James Franklin’s post Blue-White Game thoughts on Penn State’s search for a third wide receiver

James Franklin updates his thoughts on Penn State’s search for a third receiver after the Blue-White Game

After losing two leading wide receivers to the NFL draft and graduation, the search for passing options was officially on this spring for Penn State. The return of [autotag]Keandre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], who is coming off a solid performance in the Rose Bowl helped keep one receiving spot stabilized for the Nittany Lions, but [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] knew it was important to find the other options as soon as possible for the offense to keep firing in the fall.

Penn State attacked the transfer portal in the offseason to bring in two options for the receiving game. One of the most likely replacements for a starting receiver position, [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] from Kent State, is joining the program after the spring and will start getting to work with quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] this summer. Cephas is widely expected to lock down one of the starting jobs upon his arrival, leaving Franklin and offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] hoping someone else would step up and be that coveted third receiver.

[autotag]Malik McClain[/autotag] from Florida State joined the program in time for spring practices and was able to participate in the Blue-White Game. That was beneficial as McClain had some good moments in his spring debut for the Nittany Lions. But the rising star coming out of Penn State’s Blue-White Game this spring may have been sophomore [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

Evans scored the only touchdown of the spring game for the Nittany Lions when he found some rare open space against a tight defensive pass coverage, hauled in a pass from Allar after he scanned his progressions, and stretched into the endzone for the score (and was promptly penalized for excessive celebration).

After the game, Franklin commented on the performance of Evans and the overall search for a third passing option.

“I thought Omari (Evans) really stepped up and we need a third wideout to step up,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference. “So that was exciting to see him make some plays out there.”

“He’s strong and he’s physical, and he’s getting more and more confident day by day,” Franklin later added. “We need somebody to step up in that third wide receiver role. For the last week and a half, we moved him into that spot and obviously today was something to build on. There’s no doubt about it. He’s got all the tools.”

It is easy to overreact to a performance in a spring game, but Omari Evans certainly picked a good day to turn in the performance he did. We’ll see if that leads to a more meaningful role in the fall.

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