Penn State Sports Magazine
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1 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 GREG PICKEL | GR EG.P ICKEL @ON 3.COM T he vacancy that opened up on Penn State's assistant coaching staff in mid- January didn't stay vacant for long. Eight days after the Nittany Lions dis- missed receivers coach Taylor Stubble- field, the team announced Jan. 23 that it had hired former Virginia assistant Marques Hagans. A 13-year veteran of the Cavaliers' staff, first as a graduate as- sistant and later as a full-time position coach, Hagans will take over the PSU re- ceivers room while also serving as offen- sive recruiting coordinator. "We are excited to add Marques to our family," coach James Franklin said in a pre- pared statement. "He is a veteran coach whose experiences playing both quar- terback and wide receiver at the highest levels will bring tremendous value to our program. Marques has a proven track re- cord of developing receivers throughout his career and has worked alongside many coaches I respect. "Marques is a relationship-based leader whose family values align with the culture of Penn State." Before moving into coaching, Hagans excelled as a quarterback at Virginia. A four-year letterman from 2002-05, he amassed 4,877 passing yards and 5,779 yards of total offense, ranking in the top 10 in school history in both categories. In 2006, he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver in the fifth round and went on to spend five seasons in the NFL. Hagans returned to his alma mater in 2011 and spent two years as a graduate assistant before becoming a full-time po- sition coach ahead of the 2013 season. During his time with the Cavaliers, he worked with a number of play- ers who went on to have pro careers. Joe Reed was a fifth-round draftee of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, while Olamide Zaccheaus went into the league a year earlier and is currently with the Atlanta Falcons. At Virginia, Zaccheaus totaled 2,753 re- ceiving yards, second most in school his- tory. His 250 career catches are the most ever by a Cavaliers receiver and the sixth most in ACC history. That total included 93 catches as a senior in 2018, a single- season Virginia record. In 2021, Virginia was the only team in the country to have five of its receivers surpass 500 yards. Keytaon Thompson and Dontayvion Wicks were All-ACC selections that year. Thompson had 78 catches for 990 yards, while Wicks had 57 receptions for a school-record 1,203 yards. This past season, Thompson claimed third-team All-ACC recognition despite playing in only eight games due to an in- jury. He led the team with 53 catches for 579 yards. All told, nine of the top 20 players on the Cavaliers' career receptions leaderboard have been coached by Hagans. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be led by James Franklin and work with his tremendous coaching staff," Hagans said in a released statement. "I am excited to be part of the tradition of Penn State football, to uphold the standard of excellence and to work relentlessly to compete for cham- pionships. My wife, Lauren, and our boys cannot wait to get to Happy Valley." Hagans has a chal- lenge ahead of him in Year 1 at Penn State. The Nittany Lions must replace last year's top two pass catchers, with Mitchell Tinsley having exhausted his eligibility and Parker Washington forgoing his last two col- lege seasons to enter the NFL Draft. The most experienced of the Nittany Lions' re- turnees is fourth-year junior KeAndre Lam- bert-Smith. The 6-foot- 1, 176-pounder is coming off a big performance in the Rose Bowl in which he had a game-high 124 receiving yards, including a bowl-record 88-yard touch- down catch. But he's been inconsistent in his first three seasons at Penn State and has struggled to sustain his success. The Nittany Lions also welcome two incoming transfer receivers in junior Malik McClain, formerly of Florida State, and Dante Cephas, formerly of Kent State. McClain is already on campus, having enrolled for the spring semester, and will participate in spring practice. The Lions also bring back a group of largely unproven wideouts holding either freshman or sophomore eligibility. Of those players, redshirt sophomore Har- rison Wallace III is the most experienced, having totaled 19 catches for 273 yards and 1 touchdown in 16 games. As he gets settled in at Penn State, Hagans will see at least one familiar face in the Lasch Building. PSU safe- ties coach Anthony Poindexter is also a Virginia graduate and a former Cavaliers assistant coach. He and Hagans were on the Cavaliers' staff together from 2011 to 2013. THE HAGANS FILE PERSONAL Age: 40 Hometown: Hampton, Va. College: Virginia '05 Family: Wife, Lauren; sons Christopher Dex, Jackson Watford COACHING EXPERIENCE 2023-present: Penn State (wide receivers/ offensive recruiting coordinator) 2022: Virginia (associate head coach/wide receivers) 2013-21: Virginia (wide receivers) 2011-12: Virginia (offensive graduate assistant) PLAYING EXPERIENCE 2008-10: Washington Football Team (WR) 2008: Indianapolis Colts (WR) 2008: Kansas City Chiefs (WR) 2006-07: St. Louis Rams (WR) 2002-05: University of Virginia (QB) Former Virginia Assistant Takes Charge Of PSU Wideouts A former Cavaliers quarterback, Marques Hagans oversaw the wide receivers at his alma mater from 2013 through the 2022 sea- son. In addition to serving as Penn State's receivers coach, he will be the team's offen- sive recruiting coordinator. PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS