Penn State's Taylor Stubblefield: 'I Like a Challenge'

Penn State receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield is trying to stabilize both his position room and his career. Here's how he's doing it.

Taylor Stubblefield introduced himself to Penn State's receivers room by reminding the players of history. In 2004, Stubblefield broke the Big Ten receiving record at Beaver Stadium in Purdue's 20-13 win over the Nittany Lions.

A few receivers laughed. Daniel George, who caught the longest touchdown pass in Penn State history in 2018, reminded Stubblefield that he isn't alone.

"He loves talking about that," George said of Stubblefield. "I was like, 'You're not the only one with a record in there.'"

Stubblefield, one of four new assistants on Penn State's staff this year, broke the ice quickly in what could have been a frayed situation. Stubblefield is Penn State's fourth receivers coach in four years, having replaced Gerad Parker, who left to become West Virginia's offensive coordinator after one season.

When they agreed to terms earlier this year, Stubblefield and Penn State coach James Franklin said both parties needed less change. The Lions wanted a coach who could relate to a room that has seen exceptional turnover, and Stubblefield wanted a place to unpack after making 10 coaching stops in 13 years.

“We need stability," Franklin said. “The interesting thing is, he needs it, too. One of the stories that a lot of people have talked about is, he hasn’t necessarily shown that in his career. So, it’s something that we both need right now.”

So what happened? After beginning his new job with a busy recruiting schedule and about five weeks in State College, Stubblefield was forced to change again, coaching online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He led position meetings from his son's bedroom in Miami and from an RV outside his mother's house in Washington state before moving in, and settling in, to his new home and job.

Stable, it wasn't. But Stubblefield said he quickly found himself assimilating in a staff and system about which he wanted to learn much more.

“For me professionally, I know that I need to be at a place for an extended period of time in order to grow the way that I need to grow,” Stubblefield said. “I truly feel like I’m at a place where it fits me.”

Franklin has noted on multiple occasions that Stubblefield became the Big Ten's career-leader in receptions at Purdue not with exceptional size (he's 5-11), speed or athletic gifts but through positional understanding and devotion to fundamentals. He coaches that way as well.

Stubblefield coached at nine different colleges, most recently at the University of Miami, in eight states before joining Penn State's staff. He also spent a year with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Stubblefield has spent more than one season at only three coaching stops.

He insists Penn State is a destination. Stubblefield visited Franklin at Penn State for a professional-development seminar a few years ago and found a coach with whom he wanted to work. That opportunity came this year.

"I want to learn the way Coach Franklin has operated his program,” Stubblefield said. “I want to learn what [offensive coordinator Kirk] Ciarrocca does with an offense, so I can truly have it be part of what I will do in the future. Selfishly, that’s the reason I want stability. Because I need it.”

Stubblefield quickly has become a big fan of Ciarrocca's offense, which he said will be a showcase for his receivers. In particular, Stubblefield said the offense not only puts defenders in conflict but also disguises those conflicts to cause further imbalance.

Penn State returns one receiver, Jahan Dotson, who caught more than 20 passes last season. The position has promise and questions. Stubblefield embraced that and made a prediction.

"I like a challenge,” he said. “And my guys like challenges. There’s a lot of people who don’t expect a lot from this group, so the great thing is that you’re going to see a group out there that wants to compete their tails off.”

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