James Franklin goes in-depth on Penn State offensive coordinator search

It’s been a week and a half since James Franklin fired Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. In the days since the firing, Franklin has discussed balancing the “two full-time jobs” of finding a new leader for the offense in 2024 while also making sure Penn State football finishes 2023 on a strong note. As the Nittany Lions prepare to take on Michigan State in the regular season finale Friday, we got in-depth insight from Franklin on what he is looking for in an offensive coordinator, the potential candidate pool, and the progress of the search to date.

What key factors is James Franklin looking for in the next Penn State offensive coordinator?

After all the offseason hype, the Penn State offense hasn’t lived up to expectations on the field in 2023.

It hasn’t been all bad for a unit that is still in the top 15 nationally in critical metrics like scoring, red zone efficiency, and time of possession. But a lack of explosive plays and perceived wasting of talent like Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen was the death knell for Mike Yurcich, who was fired last Sunday.

As he begins the search for the most critical hire in his tenure as Penn State football coach, James Franklin provided insight Tuesday night about the key factors he’s looking for in his next offensive coordinator.

“I think it’s really still the same factors,” Franklin said of the drivers behind his upcoming decision. “It’s who’s going to be great on third down? Who’s got the data to back up explosive plays and explosive offense? Because in college football nowadays, to just be able to go four yards is hard to do all the way down the field. Opening drives [is important]. But a big one is, data and information based on the people that have been able to score against their best competition, the best competition in whatever leagues they’ve come from. I think that’s an important piece of this as well.”

Franklin is looking for an experienced playcaller

Generally, there are two schools of thought about where James Franklin can find the next Penn State offensive coordinator. Franklin could give an up-and-comer in the assistant coaching ranks their first shot at a coordinator position, as he did with longtime assistant Ricky Rahne in 2018.

Conversely, Penn State football could look for a candidate with a proven track record of calling plays at multiple stops, like when Franklin hired Joe Moorhead in 2016. Based on Franklin’s comments Tuesday evening, it appears that Penn State football is trending towards the latter option.

“Our [offensive] numbers are pretty good,” he said. “But we got to make sure that we put ourselves in the best position based on the teams that we need to beat. And have the data to back it up, and evidence to back it up, and the experience to back it up. So, that’s really the biggest difference.”

“And then hopefully, [we want] someone that’s done it long enough that you have a true indication,” Franklin continued. “Because where you have to be careful is, somebody could have a special quarterback, or somebody could have a generational wide receiver, and it skews all the stats. That’s what makes it hard, right? So, that’s where the bigger sample size, the bigger body of work allows you to eliminate some of that risk and feel more confident in the decision. And then also, [we’re looking for] somebody that’s going to come and be able to use the personnel based on how it’s already been built.”

How big is the pool of candidates?

Within hours of Mike Yurcich’s firing, college football experts and fans alike had compiled lists of potential candidates for the next Penn State offensive coordinator.

Some lists had blasts from Penn State’s past, like former Nittany Lions analyst and current Buffalo Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Others included the hottest names on the coaching carousel this year, like Colorado’s Sean Lewis.

However, according to James Franklin, his list may not be as extensive as you may think.

“I think the perception out there, whether it’s an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, position coach, or a head coach, there are less options out there than I think people think when you really dig into it. There’s a small sample size,” he said.

Franklin illustrated the point by highlighting the coaching market when he hired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz in 2021.

“When I hired Manny, there were like three or four guys out there that had that track record, and there were probably eight schools that were trying to get them,” he said. “So, it’s not as obvious as people may think.”

The candidate pool gets even smaller when you limit it to exclusively college coaches, which may be where Franklin is currently trending.

“Even if you look at hiring a guy with NFL experience, that seems like that sounds good,” he said. “But there’s not a whole lot of evidence of that model working on the college level. So, it’s a smaller pool than you would actually think. And there are probably not as many obvious candidates as people think, as well.”

Will the next Penn State offensive coordinator have an existing relationship with James Franklin?

There are always “names” that you can go get on the coaching market each year. But not every coach is going to be the right fit. James Franklin highlighted this point Tuesday night, indicating that a pre-existing relationship with the next Penn State offensive coordinator would be a plus.

“It’s no different than recruiting: you’re trying to get the five-star guy,” he said. “But you’re also trying to reduce risk, as well…And on that note, that would also probably help if it’s somebody that you have a relationship with already, too. Because you’re not trying to figure that out, are they a cultural fit, too?”

How much of a head start is Penn State getting in the process by firing Yurcich midseason?

One of the biggest questions in the firing of Mike Yurcich is, why now? Why in mid-November, with two games left to play?

James Franklin previously commented that the decision was made after the 24-15 loss to Michigan out of an effort of transparency. When you know, you know, in essence.

But many also speculated that making the move early would give Penn State football a jump in the coaching search. While this may be true to some degree, Franklin noted that it is much more complicated than that.

“I don’t know how much of a headstart it is because my energy needs to be focused on beating Michigan State,” Franklin said. “So if I look tired during the season, late in the season, I may look a little bit more tired now. From 6 a.m. until 10 o’clock at night is all on our opponent, Michigan State. So, if I’m going to do any of those other things, it’s going to happen before that or after that.”

“And there’s only so many hours in the day,” he continued. “I got to come out here with the right energy for practice late in the season. Helping the staff with the game plan where I can help there. Do all the other administrative duties that we’re trying to do as well, whether it’s an NIL, or facilities, or those types of things…So, I guess to answer your question, it’s not like we’re getting that much of a head start, because my focus is on Michigan State. But there’s a little bit [of a head start].”

Penn State football closes the 2023 season with Michigan State on Friday night.

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