Head coach James Franklin, and Penn State Football, fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in the aftermath of a disappointing loss to Michigan that comes on the heels of an inept offensive showing against Ohio State, earlier in the season.
Yurcich guiding an offense that came up small in the Nittany Lions‘ two games that mattered most to the program’s aspirations of taking the next step and breaking through into the four-team College Football Playoff ultimately wound up being his undoing.
Each day, NittanyCentral will update the latest news, updates, and rumors of the offensive coordinator search. Be sure to bookmark NittanyCentral.com, and check back often for the latest:
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Thursday, November 16: Brennan Marion’s Scheme Could Ignite Penn State Football
UNLV Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion could ultimately be a darkhorse candidate for Franklin, to bring an innovative new scheme to Penn State Football.
Marion created the Go-Go Offense , which is an uptempo, no-huddle, downhill run game that takes advantage of the entire field and match-ups. Two running backs are next to the quarterback on the right, and three receivers out wide.
UNLV is currently third in the Mountain West, averaging 421.8 yards per game. They are also third in rushing, averaging 195.9 yards per game, and in passing, averaging 226.1 yards per Contest.
Meanwhle, UNLV averages 36.4 points per game and is 8-2.
For his efforts, Marion is generating some national buzz:
Like everything we do, this was earned.
Congrats @BrennanMarion4 on being nominated for the 2023 Frank Broyles Award‼️ pic.twitter.com/3GMWqsCCm8
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) November 14, 2023
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The go-go offense forces the defense to overload one side of the field and gives the offense an advantage when running the ball to the weak side.
It also utilizes the short passing game and can stretch the field vertically, which is what Penn State needs.
Whether Marion winds up on Franklin’s radar remains to be seen, but he is a top choice for at least one former Nittany Lion, cornerback Justin King, who threw his hat in the Marion ring:
I want to see @BrennanMarion4 at @PennStateFball #GOGO2PSU
— Justin King | IG: J.King_LIG (@theking1) November 15, 2023
Wednesday, November 15: Joe Brady Likely Out as Possible Candidate
The Buffalo Bills fired their offensive coordinator, Ken Dorsey, on Tuesday after an inept performance against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady was elevated to interim offensive coordinator, where he’ll get the opportunity to audition for the role full-time while calling the plays for quarterback Josh Allen and the offense the remainder of this season.
BREAKING: The #Bills have fired OC Ken Dorsey, per @AdamSchefter. Joe Brady will be the interim. Changes underway in Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/Hpy8XN0GeM
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 14, 2023
Brady had been linked to the Penn State job by many fans and analysts as a possible candidate, especially given the fact that he was a graduate assistant under former offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead.
The former Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator would have provided the Nittany Lions a bright young mind on Franklin’s staff, but it would now seem unlikely that he would leave Buffalo, especially if he coaches his way into the offensive coordinator role full-time.
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
