Penn State Sports Magazine
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along with Brendan Mahon, an 11-game starter at guard. But they expect to return McSorley, who leads the Big Ten in passing with an average of 269 yards per game, along with a group of veteran receivers, a promising running back in junior-to-be Miles Sanders, and five experienced of- fensive linemen in Ryan Bates, Will Fries, Steven Gonzalez, Connor McGov- ern and Chasz Wright. Franklin said that under Rahne's guid- ance, the Lions will continue to run the offensive system that has brought them so much success the past two years. "I know he's excited, I know we're excited," Franklin said. "What's great about Ricky is, he's very comfortable in his skin. And although we're going to keep the offense the same, I want him to take it and run with it, and I know he will." There are certainly some high stan- dards to uphold. In Moorhead's first sea- son, Penn State set school records with 6,065 yards of total offense and 3,650 passing yards. After finishing 105th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense in 2015, the Lions jumped to 49th last year and are 28th heading into bowl season. Rahne's association with Franklin pre- dates their arrival at Penn State. They met at Kansas State in 2006, when Rahne was a graduate assistant and Franklin was offensive coordinator. Franklin liked how Rahne worked with Wildcats quarterback Josh Freeman, and after accepting the head coaching position at Vanderbilt in December 2010, he brought Rahne along as quar- terbacks coach. Under Rahne's direc- tion, Austyn Carta-Samuels compiled a 68.7 percent completion rate in 2012, the third-highest percentage in the FBS that year. The past two seasons, Rahne has helped develop Gesicki into one of the country's best tight ends. He earned All- Big Ten honors both years, setting Penn State career records for most catches (123), receiving yards (1,419) and touch- downs (15) by a tight end. "Ricky is a rising star in the profes- sion," Franklin said. "We've been to- gether now for a long time. I know Ricky very well personally, I know Ricky's family very well. I know him profession- ally, I know how smart he is, I know how passionate he is about this game." As quickly as they promoted Rahne, the Lions also made a pair of hires. For- mer Penn State graduate assistant Tyler Bowen was brought aboard as tight ends coach, while longtime college and NFL coach Phil Galiano was named special teams coordinator. Galiano replaces Charles Huff, who left to join Moor- head's staff at Mississippi State. Bowen, a Helena, Ga., native and Maryland graduate, spent two seasons as offensive line coach at Fordham in 2015 and '16, helping four linemen win All-Patriot League honors during his tenure. He was Maryland's offensive line coach this past season before leaving College Park to join Penn State's staff. Galiano has been in coaching for nearly two decades, first at small col- leges and later at Florida International and Rutgers. A Norristown, Pa., native and Shippensburg University graduate, he moved to the NFL when Greg Schiano left the Scarlet Knights to become head coach at Tampa Bay and spent two sea- sons with the Buccaneers as a special teams assistant. Galiano later returned to Rutgers, spent a season with the Miami Dolphins and was a defensive consultant at Penn State last year before being promoted to special teams coordi- nator. Penn State made two other changes to its staff, giving new titles to wide re- ceivers coach Josh Gattis and offensive line coach Matt Limegrover. Gattis will now serve as passing game coordinator, while Limegrover will be the run game coordinator. Also, graduate assistant Mark Dupuis will serve as running backs coach on an interim basis as Penn State looks to fill its final coaching vacancy. Bowen and Gallardo are filling the spots that opened up when Moorhead and Huff left, but the NCAA is permitting programs to add a 10th assistant coach, so Franklin will be working to add one more coach to his staff. ■ Rahne ready for new role as coordinator S omething about it seemed off. It wasn't the cowbells that sound- tracked his welcoming. It wasn't the red carpet rolled overtop the soil of Starkville, Miss., awaiting him as he stepped off a private jet. All that was deserved. It wasn't even that his hair was slicked to the side and his face cleanshaven. That was a long time coming. What Joe Moorhead has accom- plished in his coaching career, espe- cially in his two years at Penn State when he trans- formed a heap of underachieving potential into one of the highest-scoring offenses in the sport, is nothing short of re- markable. He's one of the best in the game, and what he's put into it to this point is now returning in the form of more than $2 million a year as the head coach of Mississippi State. Awe- some for him. But by jumping at the payday at a school in the middle of the vaunted Southeastern Conference, he might have just sacrificed one very impor- tant pillar that has supported his coaching success thus far. A Pittsburgh native whose coaching journey has brought him to places such as Fordham, Connecticut and Akron and never farther south than Georgetown, Moorhead has seen his career boosted by his regional ties and relationships. He certainly does- n't have a lick of twang or drawl. A promotional video shot at the airport JUDGMENT CALL