Stay Drayton Stays for Final Game at Penn State, Seeking to Beat His New Rival

Stan Drayton is leaving Penn State after one season as running backs coach but will remain with the team through the Pinstripe Bowl. Which made for a unique moment Friday, when he was introduced as South Carolina's new running backs coach. Penn State will play South Carolina's biggest rival on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium.

"Let's go beat Clemson," Drayton told reporters in Columbia on Friday.

Drayton so far is the only Penn State assistant who has accepted another position but also plans to remain with the Nittany Lions for the bowl game. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is headed to Tennessee, while offensive assistants Ty Howle and Danny O'Brien are joining James Franklin's staff at Virginia Tech.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, line coach Phil Trautwein and receivers coach Marques Hagans still remain on Penn State's offensive staff with Drayton. The running backs coach explained Friday why he is staying with Penn State through the bowl game.

"I've been through a lot with that program as well," Drayton told reporters at a press conference introducing three new South Carolina staff members. "We had a tough go and we've been through a lot together with the release of our head coach midseason. So yeah, I'm going to stick with those guys. I just feel like I need to finish what I started. They believed in me, and I believe in them and I promised them that I was going to go all the way to the end with those guys. I am going to complete my time with them."

Drayton spent one year at Penn State, guiding Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to record-setting seasons. Allen became the program's all-time leading rusher and first player to top 4,000 career rushing yards. He ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing (1,303 yards) and led all conference backs with 15 rushing touchdowns.

Singleton, who has opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl, broke Saquon Barkley's career records for total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yardage. He rushed for 549 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

Penn State running backs coach Stan Drayton coaches the backs during a practice session outside Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina is the 14th different college program for which Drayton has worked. He will coach running backs and serve as the assistant head coach for offense, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said. Drayton and Beamer worked together at Mississippi State in 2004, and Beamer called the hire "an absolute grand slam for us."

"Just to be completely honest, Stan is what I've been loking for at the running back position since I got hired in December of 2020," Beamer said at the press conference, "He is the total package. I've worked with him, I know the kind of person he is. When I made the change at running back, there was one running backs coach that I thought of, there was one running backs coach that I called, there was one running backs coach that I offered a job to and no one else, and it was this guy right here."

Drayton, entering his 34th season in coaching, spent three seasons as Temple's head coach before joining Penn State's staff in January. He won national championships at Florida and Ohio State and spent three seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

"The decision was easy for me," Drayton said of joining Beamer's staff at South Carolina. "There hasn't been many opportunities in 33 years when I can work with or for someone that I can absolutely let my hair down and be me and know exactly what's expected of me and know exactly what I can expect of that person."

Watch the full South Carolina press conference featuring Drayton.

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