What the Latest Changes Mean for Penn State's Coaching Staff
Penn State is staging another hectic offseason, one that coach James Franklin called "critical" to the program's future. Franklin has wasted little time making changes he considered necessary, particularly on offense, while a series of player arrivals and departures have altered the roster.
Franklin overhauled his offensive staff before the 2020 season, bringing in three new coaches, including coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. But after a 4-5 season, Franklin parted ways with Ciarrocca, turning to former Texas coordinator Mike Yurcich as his new playcaller.
The latest change came this week, when tight ends coach Tyler Bowen left for a position with Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Franklin wasted no time in promoting former Penn State captain Ty Howle to Bowen's coaching spot.
Our Penn State Roster Tracker recaps all the player movement, which has been significant since the 2020 season ended. Here's a primer on the latest coaching changes.
A new tight ends coach
Franklin on Friday announced that he has promoted Howle from offensive analyst to tight ends coach. Bowen had been in the position for three seasons.
Franklin wasted little time making the change. He even beat the Jaguars to the announcement Thursday.
Howle, a two-year starting lineman for Penn State from 2009-13, becomes a Power 5 assistant for the first time. The former Penn State captain began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State, then spent four seasons at Western Illinois. There he coached the offensive line before being named assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2018. Howle called plays for Western Illinois that season.
He returned to Penn State as an offensive analyst in 2020.
"I have known Ty since I first started at Penn State when he worked with our recruiting department," Franklin said in a statement. "Since then, I followed his career and watched him grow into an impressive coach and tremendous leader of young men. As the son of a high school football coach, Ty’s passion for teaching the game is unmatched. In addition, he wears his pride for this University on his chest each day. His contributions as a member of the 2012 team and as a captain in 2013 will long be remembered by Penn State fans."
A new offensive recruiting coordinator
Bowen's departure to Jacksonville is a mixed blessing for Penn State. It furthers Franklin and Penn State's recent list of assistant-coaching successes, with Joe Moorhead (Mississippi State), Ricky Rahne (Old Dominion) and Charles Huff (Marshall) becoming head coaches. Bowen, just 31, is a head coach in the making.
But Bowen's departure also left a major recruiting hole in Penn State's staff. Bowen returned to Penn State in 2018 for his second coaching tour (he was a graduate assistant in 2014) as the offensive recruiting coordinator. Bowen was an important recruiter for the Lions, notably in the DMV region.
With Bowen gone, Franklin made another key coaching announcement Friday, promoting receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield to offensive recruiting coordinator. Stubblefield is a strong recruiter in his own right, with ties in various regions including Florida, and had an impressive first season mentoring Penn State's receivers.
In addition, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith added the title of associate head coach. He had been the team's assistant head coach.
Could Bowen return to Penn State?
Franklin interrupted his college career in 2005, taking a job as receivers coach with the Green Bay Packers. Franklin has said that he feels more suited to coaching in college, but the NFL experience certainly added a layer to his resume and skill set.
Bowen has been on an upward career arc since becoming a student assistant for Franklin at Maryland in 2010. He was the offensive coordinator at Fordham in 2016, successfully called plays for Penn State at the Cotton Bowl in 2019 and was named Penn State's co-offensive coordinator in 2020. This NFL experience, particularly with Meyer, will sharpen his coaching edge.
Presuming a successful two-year term as Penn State's offensive coordinator, Yurcich might be poised to take over his own program in 2023. At that point, Bowen should be a candidate to return as offensive coordinator, if he's interested in that route.
Perhaps Bowen follows the path of Joe Brady, another successful former Penn State graduate assistant. Brady spent two seasons with Franklin, in 2015-16, and left to become an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints.
Brady parlayed that into a year as the passing game coordinator with LSU during its national-championship season, then became the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator in 2020. Brady has interviewed for multiple head-coaching positions this year.
Bowen and Brady both are 31. Franklin has been integral to their career paths. That's a positive for both the coach and program.
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