Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
1 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State coach James Franklin lost two of his 10 on-field assistant coaches to other jobs following the 2022 season. If a pair of media-created lists of coordi- nators and position leaders are correct, at least a couple of new hires may need to be made following the 2023 season. On3 senior national college football reporter Matt Zenitz recently listed 20 college football assistants who admin- istrators around the country believe are in line to be head coaches sooner rather than later despite not yet leading a pro- gram. One of them is current Penn State assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. The 46-year-old Belle Glade, Fla., native is in his sixth season on Franklin's staff. He has long been viewed as one of the nation's premier recruiters and developers of talent. "Former QB that coaches the RBs with a holistic view of the offense," a source familiar with Seider told On3. "Dynamic recruiter that can relate to anyone. Heavy ties to Florida but can operate well in any recruiting area. Will be an offensive coordinator or head coach. Just a matter of time. … Not any- thing he can't do as a coach. Extremely relatable to coaches, staff and recruits alike." Seider has been pursued by other schools since arriving at Penn State in 2018, but his tenure with the Nittany Lions is now the longest of any stop in his coaching career. It's also worth noting that Zenitz included Penn State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter on a list of assistants who "are on the radar for administrators as potential FBS head coaching candidates and/or have al- ready interviewed for head coaching jobs in the past." Poindexter, a Virginia alum, interviewed for the Cavaliers' head coaching position in 2021. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman re- leased a list of 30 college football assis- tants to keep an eye on as rising stars in 2023, and a few coaches with Penn State ties were included. Former PSU safety D'Anton Lynn was one of them. He is now the defensive coordinator under Chip Kelly at UCLA. Seider also made Feldman's list. "Inside the coaching world, Seider has been known as one of the coun- try's best position coaches and recruit- ers," Feldman noted. "The 46-year-old South Florida native has been in the mix for a few Group of 5 head coaching jobs and probably will get a long look from WVU if that job comes open. Seider spent a half-dozen seasons in Morgan- town as an assistant in two stints. In between, Seider was Marshall's running backs coach. He would be a strong can- didate there if Charles Huff leaves for a bigger job." Penn State fans will remember Huff from his time coaching the Nittany Lion running backs and special teams from 2014-17. When Joe Moorhead left PSU's offensive coordinator post to become head coach at Mississippi State, Huff joined him before moving on to Ala- bama and then to Marshall. Penn State's current defensive coor- dinator, Manny Diaz, also made Feld- man's cut. The former Miami (Fla.) head coach is seen as a likely candidate to lead his own program again. He's now in Year 2 with the Nittany Lions. — Greg Pickel In Today's College Football, Change Is The Only Constant When James Franklin arrived at Penn State in 2014, the only assistant coach on his initial Nittany Lion staff who hadn't been with him at his former school, Vanderbilt, was Terry Smith. Hired to coach the Nittany Lions' cornerbacks, Smith was a former Penn State wide receiver with deep ties to the Pennsylvania high school football community. A decade later, Smith is the only member of Franklin's first staff who is still with the Nittany Li- ons. The majority of PSU's on-field staff has joined within the past three years, which is par for the course in modern college football. Here's a look at the current assistant coaching staff, ranked in order of their tenure at Penn State. Penn State Viewed As Incubator Of Head Coaching Talent Ranking PSU's Football Assistants By Tenure Coach Responsibility Year at PSU Terry Smith Cornerbacks 10th Ja'Juan Seider Running backs 6th Phil Trautwein Offensive line 4th Ty Howle Tight ends 3rd Anthony Poindexter Safeties 3rd Mike Yurcich Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 3rd Stacy Collins Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers/nickels 2nd Manny Diaz Defensive coordinator/linebackers 2nd Deion Barnes Defensive line 1st Marques Hagans Wide receivers 1st Assistant coach Ja'Juan Seider is in his sixth season with the Nittany Lions and has developed some of the best running backs in college football during that span. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL