James Franklin Calls Stan Drayton an 'Important Addition' to Penn State's Staff

Penn State announces Drayton, the former Temple head coach, as its new running backs coach.

Temple Owls head coach Stan Drayton looks on prior to the game against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Penn State football coach James Franklin moved quickly in naming a new running backs coach, as the program officially announced Stan Drayton's hiring Friday. Drayton replaces Ja'Juan Seider, who left Penn State after seven years for Notre Dame. Penn State announced Drayton's hiring before Notre Dame officially named Seider.

Drayton, 53, arrives at Penn State for his 33rd season in coaching. He spent the past three years as head coach at Temple, where his teams compiled a 9-25 record. Drayton is one of the nation's most accomplished running backs coaches, having mentored seven 1,000-yard rushers, five NFL Draft picks and two All-Americans. Penn State coach James Franklin called Drayton an "important addition" to the program.

“Stan Drayton brings decades of experience coaching running backs at the highest levels to our program,” Franklin said in a statement. “He is an important addition to our staff. His experience as a head coach and working alongside elite backs in his career will be invaluable to our running backs room. I am so excited to welcome Stan and his family, including his wife, Monique, and daughters,
Amari and Anaya, to Happy Valley.”

RELATED: What to know about Stan Drayton, Penn State's next running backs coach

The Drayton File 📁#WeAre x @StanDrayton_ pic.twitter.com/GqGa9ipgeQ

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 14, 2025

Drayton has spent more than 20 years coaching running backs in the NFL, Big Ten, SEC and beyond. His resume includes working with a host of top-flight backs, notably Ezekiel Elliott, Bijan Robinson and Brian Westbrook. At Penn State, Drayton will mentor 1,000-yard rushers Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, both of whom returned for their fourth seasons in the program.

"I am excited and honored to be joining this elite organization led by Coach Franklin,” Drayton said in a statement. “I have so much respect for the culture and program he has built here. Penn State has a rich running back tradition and a very talented running back room now. I am thrilled for this opportunity and am looking forward to getting to work.”

Three days before making the hire official, Franklin discussed the type of coach he sought to replace Seider. Drayton certainly seemed to fit the description.

"There are some young guys that you can hire that are on an upward trajectory, are going to have
really good careers, but you may not get the return on your investment until year two," Franklin said. "And then there's other guys that are much more seasoned, but you want to make sure that they haven't gotten to the point of their career where their career starting to decline and go in the opposite direction. So you kind of find that sweet spot of a guy that's got enough experience, both in coaching and in recruiting at this level, and that we're going to get the return on our investment quickly. Because, you know, we're just not a at a point as a program to come in and and have to wait a year or two while we're still developing somebody."

More Penn State Football

LaVar Arrington II will wear his father's jersey number for the Nittany Lions

How will Penn State's $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium impact future capacity?

Penn State tackles the "painstaking" process of installing a new defense