Penn State Needs an Offensive Coordinator. Here's a Candidates List
Penn State coach James Franklin said after a narrow win against Indiana in late October that he wasn’t “in the business” of evaluating staff members midway through the season. Then Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich one day after falling flat against Michigan.
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle will act as co-coordinators to finish the season, but Franklin will be busy interviewing. The head coach almost certainly will hire the new coordinator, his sixth in 10 seasons at Penn State, before the early Signing Day on Dec. 20. Plus, Franklin has set precedent for December hires, bringing in current defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and former offensive coordinators Kirk Ciarrocca and Joe Moorhead before the bowl game. Here's a look at who might be next.
Ja’Juan Seider
Nothing says the interim coach can’t get the full-time gig, and Seider has a runway to prove himself. He was rumored to be a top candidate for the Florida offensive coordinator job and wants to become a head coach. Running an offense is the next step.
Seider has a strong track record at Penn State. His running backs include Miles Sanders, Journey Brown, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and he's considered among the nation's top recruiters. He has received a commitment from another 5-star back: Messiah Mickens in the class of 2026. Seider might want to stretch his wings and go elsewhere, but this is an opportunity for Franklin to keep one of his top assistants in State College.
Joe Moorhead
Here’s the fan favorite. Moorhead, now the head coach at Akron, coached Penn State’s offenses in 2016 and 2017, orchestrating some of the program’s most memorable units and moments. Mississippi State quickly hired him away to be its head coach, but it was a short-lived relationship.
Moorhead rebooted his career as the Oregon offensive coordinator for two seasons, ranking 42nd nationally in scoring both years (31.3 and 31.4 points per game). His Akron teams have struggled mightily in his two seasons as the head coach, but Penn State fans might love to see the guy who molded Trace McSorley return to Happy Valley.
Sean Lewis
The current, but recently demoted, Colorado offensive coordinator could become one of the most intriguing names in the coaching carousel this offseason. Deion Sanders took away Sean Lewis’ play-calling duties after the Buffaloes lost to UCLA, though they averaged more than 32 points per game prior to that. Lewis took the job after a stint as Kent State’s head coach, where the Golden Flashes hovered around 30 points per game. In 2020, Kent State led the nation in scoring (49.8 ppg), albeit with just four conference games on the schedule.
Colorado is Lewis’ most high-profile stop, so Penn State would be another jump. But he has some familiarity with the Pac-12 teams that will join the Big Ten, more incentive for Franklin to take a look.
Joe Brady
The one-time Penn State graduate assistant already has votes of confidence from former Lions DaeSean Hamilton and Geno Lewis, who took to social media Saturday to offer their endorsements. Brady, 34, has been an industry name for years. He's currently the Buffalo Bills interim offensive coordinator, following the firing of Ken Dorsey, and quarterbacks coach (Josh Allen? Drew Allar?). Brady was the OC in Carolina and served as passing game coordinator for LSU’s 2019 national-championship team.
Tyler Bowen
Penn State's former tight ends coach, now the OC for Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, is beginning to gain so momentum in Blacksburg. The Hokies have won three of their last four games, putting up 48 points against Boston College. Bowen has NFL experience (with Jacksonville in 2021). and was a popular coach at Penn State. He won raves for his one-game stint as offensive coordinator for the 2019 Cotton Bowl, in which the Lions scored 53 points against Memphis.
Kliff Kingsbury
Franklin called Diaz just days after Miami fired him, choosing to go big. It worked. Could Franklin make another bold move with Kingsbury? And would Kingsbury be interested in living in State College? Following his time as the Arizona Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury joined Lincoln Riley’s USC staff to rebound as an offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach. Kingsbury has never coached east of Texas, so Penn State would be an unusual move. But hey, Diaz made a similar jump after spending all his time in the South.
Kingsbury’s offensive pedigree speaks for itself; he coached the high-powered Texas Tech teams with Patrick Mahomes. It’s unorthodox, but Penn State may look to swing big.
Mike Shanahan
A bit of a wild card, but James Madison has delivered eye-opening performances under Shanahan in its two seasons since joining the FBS. The Dukes went 8-3 in 2022 and are 10-0 to start 2023. Their offenses have been the highlight, scoring 37 and 34.3 points per game in the two campaigns. Shanahan has been the brains behind the plays for a few years. He followed head coach Curt Cignetti from Elon to James Madison, and Penn State would be a huge jump up in ranks. But he has a strong track record.
Brennan Marion
UNLV's coordinator is among the more innovative young offensive minds in college football, having invented the up-tempo "Go-Go Offense" that leans on the run with a variety of motions and formations. Marion certainly would have to adjust for Penn State's talent, notably Allar, but that could represent the next phase of his innovation. And since Franklin is always looking for coaches with Pennsylvania ties, here's one: Marion got an early start in coaching at Waynesboro High.
More on Penn State
Penn State fires offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich
Drew Allar struggles against Michigan. The coaches' gameplan didn't help
For Penn State and James Franklin, another missed opportunity
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
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