ICYMI: Penn State football offensive coordinator target recently promoted

Penn State football fans may see this season as a disappointment. It is likely to be another 10-2 season with losses to Ohio State and Michigan. Since 2016, the Nittany Lions have consistently been close but have not made the playoffs. Part of the problem this season was the poor offense produced by the Nittany Lions. Because of this, Penn State fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on November 12th – after Penn State’s abysmal offensive performance against Michigan. Penn State scored 12 points against Ohio State and 15 points against Michigan. Not good enough especially because the Nittany Lions scored late in both of those games. James Franklin knew he had to make a change. RB Coach Ja’Juan Seider and TE Coach Ty Howle will share play-calling duties for the rest of the season. While a lot of names have been mentioned frequently, none have been mentioned more than Joe Brady.

There have been a lot of other names thrown into the offensive coordinator conversation. Former Penn State OC and current Akron Head Coach Joe Moorhead is a name that is being thrown around. “JoeMo” coached Penn State’s 2016 Big Ten Championship-winning team and is struggling at Akron. 

Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is another name in the conversation. Additionally, Oregon OC Will Stein has been mentioned (even though he probably would not make a parallel move). Former UCLA and Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly seems like he is going to be on the market in need of a job. He is another name that has been added to the mix. 

Why does Joe Brady make sense at Penn State?

Joe Brady played wide receiver at William & Mary from 2009-2012. After coaching linebackers at his alma mater for two years, Brady became a graduate assistant for the Penn State football team during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. 

Brady became an offensive assistant for the Saints in 2017 and 2018. His career took a huge turn in 2019. Brady was hired as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach. Brady is often credited with developing Joe Burrow making him an elite quarterback rather than an average one. Brady’s innovative offense won the National Championship and it is often regarded as one of the best offenses ever.

Former Nittany Lion Linebacker Matt Rhule hired Brady to be his offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Brady coached the Panthers’ offense for two years but was let go with the firing of Matt Rhule in 2021. In 2022, Brady was hired as Josh Allen’s QB coach in Buffalo. 

It is easy to see why Joe Brady is a top candidate for Penn State’s offensive coordinator job. Brady was able to develop Joe Burrow into a Heisman Trophy-winning QB. The thought is Brady will be able to do the same thing with Drew Allar. Furthermore, Brady has already coached with James Franklin and is familiar with his coaching style. 

That being said, Penn State fans hoping for Brady received some bad news.

 Penn State football offensive coordinator target was promoted

It was not unrealistic to think Brady would take the Penn State football OC vacancy. Brady’s familiarity with Coach Franklin and already having a top quarterback would make his job easier. An OC job is likely an upgrade to a QB coach, even though it is in the NFL. But the Buffalo Bills just released an announcement that will likely shatter Penn State fans’ hopes. 

The Buffalo Bills fired Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey after the team started 5-5. In response, the Bills promoted Joe Brady to Interim OC for the rest of the season.

Since Penn State fired Mike Yurcich during the season (and not after) it was thought that Penn State already had a replacement in mind. Firing Yurcich now would give Penn State dibs on his replacement. But if Joe Brady was the replacement in mind, it is unlikely he is going to be the guy. 

If Brady does a good job, he will either be the full-time OC for the Bills or get another OC job in the NFL. Additionally, Brady would not be able to be hired until January or February which goes against James Franklin’s idea of getting an OC hired before the bowl game.

The Penn State and Buffalo Bills connection could help

From initial viewing, it does not look like Penn State and the Buffalo Bills have a lot in common. That being said, there might just be a connection between the teams that can help bring Brady to Penn State anyway. 

Bills Owner Terry Pegula is a proud Penn State alum. His name is cemented in Penn State history as the Pegula Ice Arena (where Penn State Men’s and Women’s Hockey plays) is named after his $88 million contribution.

At one point, when the Buffalo Bills were talking about building a new stadium, there was a possibility that the Bills would play at Beaver Stadium while the new stadium was being built. While this ultimately did not happen, it shows the connection the university has with the franchise.

If AD Pat Kraft or Head Coach James Franklin have a good relationship with Pegula and the Bills organization maybe they can work something out regarding Brady. That being said it is still unlikely that Brady is a viable option for the Nittany Lions. 

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