Franklin's Coordinators

[psu0408]

There's a lot of talk about coaching trees for the top coaches in NCAA Football, so I think it's worth looking at the Franklin coaching tree. I apologize in advance if Wikipedia has bad information:

OC (Subjective Rankings)

1. Joe Moorhead (2015-2017): Clearly the most successful OC of the Franklin era. Offense averaged 432 yards per game, and won the Big Ten in 2016. 2nd in total offense in Big Ten in 2016 and 2017. Hired to become Miss St HC, then Oregon OC, then Akron HC.
2. Ricky Rahne (2017-2019): Crazy to think that he's probably the 2nd most successful OC under Franklin at PSU. Two 11-win seasons. In 2019, team averaged 34 points and 205 rushing yards per game. Hired to become ODU coach in 2019. ODU was bowl eligible in 2023 and is 4-2 this year. In Big Ten, 5th in total offense in 2018, 6th in 2019.
3. Mike Yurcich (2021-2023): Formerly the OC at Texas (8th in scoring offense in 2020) and Ok St (averaged 38 points and 478 yards per game). Fired midseason in November of 2023 when the team went 11-3, currently OC at Youngstown State. In BT, 6th in 2021, 3rd in 2022, 2nd in 2023.
4. Kirk Ciarocca (2020): Minnesota had the 4th best total offense in BT in 2019. Fired during covid year. Thought Will Levis was more effective as a battering ram than as a QB. Currently the OC at Rutgers, which looks like the 2000's Rams when compared to Penn State.
5. Andy Kotelnicki (2024-2025): In BT, 3rd in total offense in 2024 thanks to Tyler Warren. This year - 13th in Total Offense, and they haven't even played Ohio State or Indiana. I considered putting Donovan ahead of him considering the sanctions.
6. John Donovan (2014-2015): Fired in 2015 after his offenses never rose above 100 in CFB. Became a "quality control" then RB coach in Jacksonville. Hired by Washington in 2020, fired in 2021. Works as an analyst for the Green Bay Packers

DC (Subjective Rankings)

1. Manny Diaz (2021-2023): 2nd in total/BT defense in 2023, semi-finalist for Broyles award. Current HC at Duke, Former HC at Temple and Miami. Prior success at different stops.
2. Brent Pry (2016-2021): 2017 team was 7th in nation in defense, 2018 defense led country in sacks, 2019 - 8th in scoring defense, 5th in rush defense. Became VT head coach.
3. Tom Allen (2024): 8th in total defense in 2024, current Clemson DC.
4. Bob Shoop (2014-2015): 15th in total defense in 2015.
5. Jim Knowles - not doing a deep dive on this.

Out of the group that went on to become head coaches, Manny Diaz appears to be the only one with staying power. Pry was fired, Rahne is having mixed results at ODU, and Moorhead is 10-33 at a MAC school.

 

[KingLando]

Good list. I'd take Donovan over AK but maybe just because I'm still watching AK

 

[BobPSU92]

What exactly are these guys coordinating other than their retirement accounts?

 

[84lion]

As I mentioned in the other thread, to me it says volumes about Franklin being touted as a "CEO-type" coach who was really good at finding and managing talent.

 

[troutrus]

Is It meaningful to merely rate these guys on statistics? Much depends on the players and position coaches, I.e. the hand they are dealt.
The buck stops with the head coach. He is the ultimate boss and responsible party.

 

[donaldfair71]

Is It meaningful to merely rate these guys on statistics? Much depends on the players and position coaches, I.e. the hand they are dealt.
The buck stops with the head coach. He is the ultimate boss and responsible party.

Exactly.
If these guys were really as terrible as they are with no meddling, then just hiring terrible coordinators is as fireable as anything.

 

[ConcealedCarry]

Much blame to go around,

Phil Trautwein offensive line coach​

Chuck Losey , strength coach​

 

[DaytonRickster]

Much blame to go around,

Phil Trautwein offensive line coach​

Chuck Losey , strength coach​

I find it rather odd that these lineman do well in the weight room but have trouble moving DLs backwards. Is it the blocking scheme or are they just weightroom warriors, and not football strong, or lack the will to dominate the LOS?
I have no idea but something isn't clicking.

 

[ConcealedCarry]

I find it rather odd that these lineman do well in the weight room but have trouble moving DLs backwards. Is it the blocking scheme or are they just weightroom warriors, and not football strong, or lack the will to dominate the LOS?
I have no idea but something isn't clicking.

Strength and power are two separate dynamics. Power is strength in motion. It is obvious that strength in the weight room does not tranfer into power on the football field. They are taught to pass block under Franklin not run block. That has been evident for 12 years.

 

[m.knox]

Strength and power are two separate dynamics. Power is strength in motion. It is obvious that strength in the weight room does not tranfer into power on the football field. They are taught to pass block under Franklin not run block. That has been evident for 12 years.

Paterno used to believe a squad needed to be really good at one thing. If this squad was being taught to pass block as that one good thing, it's an epic fail.

Personally, I don't believe the team is motivated. Redefine "power" as motivation per second.

 

[AvgUser]

I think players are partly at fault for this season, as in maybe 25%. That might even be too high. PSU recruits solid players across the board.

I think the coordinators are the other 75% of the problem. It’s been the same throughout Franklins tenure. 3rd and long is a dream for an opposing offense. I used too hate how PAterno teams didn’t know the middle of the field existed on offense. Play not to lose. Tighten up every close game

 

[Calabrin]

As I mentioned in the other thread, to me it says volumes about Franklin being touted as a "CEO-type" coach who was really good at finding and managing talent.

I've been thinking about this a lot since the firing because that line has been brought up many times over the past week.

Here's the problem: if you're not a "football guy" and your approach is, "Well, I'll hire the people who ARE football guys, and that will compensate for my lack of expertise," -- how can you possibly be trusted to make those kinds of decisions if you're starting from a position of, "I don't really know what I'm doing,"?

Do you get what I mean? If you have no personal expertise, how can you tell the difference between hiring the right people, vs you being duped? How do you know you're analyzing things in the correct way if (to paraphrase Landon Tengwall), you "don't know ball"?

To me, Franklin's approach was kind of this brute-force, "If we just throw more money at the problem, it'll go away." That approach lacks nuance, it lacks precision, and it's also a way of shifting the burden of having to deliver results away from yourself. You can't just count on other people to do all of the heavy lifting for you. You've gotta get your own hands dirty. Yes, get good coaches. Yes, get top recruits. But then you have to DEVELOP those recruits into seasoned players. You can't just sit there going, "I don't understand! I threw $5 million at the wall, and it's not working!"

 

[Bvillebaron]

I've been thinking about this a lot since the firing because that line has been brought up many times over the past week.

Here's the problem: if you're not a "football guy" and your approach is, "Well, I'll hire the people who ARE football guys, and that will compensate for my lack of expertise," -- how can you possibly be trusted to make those kinds of decisions if you're starting from a position of, "I don't really know what I'm doing,"?

Do you get what I mean? If you have no personal expertise, how can you tell the difference between hiring the right people, vs you being duped? How do you know you're analyzing things in the correct way if (to paraphrase Landon Tengwall), you "don't know ball"?

To me, Franklin's approach was kind of this brute-force, "If we just throw more money at the problem, it'll go away." That approach lacks nuance, it lacks precision, and it's also a way of shifting the burden of having to deliver results away from yourself. You can't just count on other people to do all of the heavy lifting for you. You've gotta get your own hands dirty. Yes, get good coaches. Yes, get top recruits. But then you have to DEVELOP those recruits into seasoned players. You can't just sit there going, "I don't understand! I threw $5 million at the wall, and it's not working!"

Yeah Franklin doesn’t know a damn thing about football. Never played the game; never won a Big Championship; etc. Apparently a number of people thinking Terry Smith does must have missed him also letting Kotelnicki try to win with gimmicky play calling.

 

[G3624]

Is Pat a football guy, has he ever earned a letter in a sport, or does he just like the lockerroom smell.

 

[Fred8811]

Is Pat a football guy, has he ever earned a letter in a sport, or does he just like the lockerroom smell.

Walkon at Indiana.

 

[DaytonRickster]

Strength and power are two separate dynamics. Power is strength in motion. It is obvious that strength in the weight room does not tranfer into power on the football field. They are taught to pass block under Franklin not run block. That has been evident for 12 years.

I think we all agree weightroom work isn't transferring onto the football field.

 

[Texas Lion]

Some on this list Franklin has to own. He brought in people to run offense and defense knowing damn well that he didn't have the personell to make those systems work. JF ego got in his own way and he wanted to always be able to say that the next big things always wanted to work with him. Dudes ego killed him here and I hope he changes it before the next stop. He knew Pribula worked way better than Allar in the AK Offense. But he couldn't let the 5 star kid go to the portal then he is the coach were 5 star QB's went to die. The longer this goes the happier I am that JF is gone.

 

[DaytonRickster]

Paterno used to believe a squad needed to be really good at one thing. If this squad was being taught to pass block as that one good thing, it's an epic fail.

Personally, I don't believe the team is motivated. Redefine "power" as motivation per second.

I heard Keith Byers (former OSU & pro RB) on his weekly radio show today in Dayton area talking about some run blocking issues with the Buckeyes this year on the right side of their OL. He suggested during the off week OSU needs to determine their best 4 or 5 running plays, work on those and try to run plays that all the OL can execute to precision.