Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/199173
Tim Owen tle game with the help of two All-America offensive linemen: center Chris Hall and tackle Adam Ulatoski. McWhorter served as offensive line coach and associate head coach under Mack Brown through 2010. He didn't coach in 2011, but came out of retirement in January 2012 to join O'Brien's new staff at Penn State. PROMINENT PLAYERS George Rogers (1980 Heisman Trophy winner), Ken Whisenhunt (former Arizona Cardinals head coach), Matt Stankiewitch (Rimington Trophy finalist) PERSONAL McWhorter and wife Rebecca have three children: Kasay, Katie and Mac. DID YOU KNOW? McWhorter has the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Georgia Tech history. Named the Yellow Jackets' interim coach after O'Leary was hired by Notre Dame in December 2001, McWhorter led them to a 24-14 victory over 11th-ranked Stanford in the Seattle Bowl. Stadium, he can still enjoy football, even if he's not on the sideline. "Someday we'll go back there," McWhorter said, "and get back into the retirement life. I was enjoying my children and family and things that I had experi- enced – like tailgating. I like tailgating. Man, that's fun." He has 85-year-old parents who live in the Athens area, too, and McWhorter said their health is in decline. He added, "These factors will influence my decision at some point, but we're just going one day at a time." Whenever the time comes for him to retire, Penn State will sorely miss McWhorter's wisdom. He's known as a cerebral coach who stresses the mental intricacies of playing offensive line, and his impact along the recruiting trail can't be underestimated. He has deep roots and strong relationships in the South, and he's also made a strong impression on his local territory: northeastern Pennsylvania. Most recently, he convinced kicker Troy Stivason from Athens, Pa., to bypass a scholarship offer from Buffalo to join the Nittany Lions as a run-on next fall. "He's awesome," Stivason said after he verbally committed, "a real funny guy." Coaches and players alike say that McWhorter might be the biggest comedian in the Lasch Building, with junior guard Miles Dieffenbach ranking a close second. Senior center Ty Howle said McWhorter sometimes reminds him of his father, David, who is a longtime football coach at Bunn High in North Carolina. "Their comparisons and their sayings are the same, Howle said. "It's kinda neat " to hear that up here, being from the South. Coach Mac's a fiery competitor, too, and I saw that throughout high school with my dad." McWhorter will sorely miss Penn State when the time comes to step away. He's built a bond with the linemen he's coached, including 2012 seniors Matt Stankiewitch and Mike Farrell, with whom he still maintains contact. He's especially fond of his current crop of guys. He boasts of the offensive line's cumulative grade point average of 3.1 and lauds the intelligence of his players, especially John Urschel. The senior offensive guard is a 4.0 student who is in the running to be voted the smartest man in college football. McWhorter recently revealed that before his hiring at Penn State, Urschel struggled academically. "If you believe that one," McWhorter conceded, "then I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona for you." He swears that Dieffenbach's well-timed one-liners are even better than his own. He calls Howle, who sports long brown hair, a goatee and a bit of a Southern accent, "Swamp Man. He has nicknames " for most of his linemen, some of which may not be fit for print. After each game, he honors the line's most outstanding performer with his Boss Hog Award, and each lineman works like hell to earn it. (See, Momma Hog truly is a term of endearment.) Rebecca, too, has gotten to know most of the Penn State offensive linemen, and yes, they're allowed to call her Momma Hog. In fact, they're encouraged to, and before some games she will fill their bellies with a homemade concoction that she calls "Hog Treats." Good luck getting the recipe. "With her being up here and having an

