James Franklin, players discuss Ricky Rahne’s departure, next OC for the Penn State Nittany Lions
As soon as Sean Clifford left the office of his offensive coordinator last week — well, former offensive coordinator — the mind of the Penn State quarterback drifted to one thing.
“Probably the minute I left that meeting, I started thinking about who my next OC is going to be,” Clifford told reporters Friday, 10 days after the meeting where Ricky Rahne announced he was leaving Happy Valley to become Old Dominion’s head coach.
The Nittany Lions are now in search of a new offensive coordinator, their third since 2017, and James Franklin is mostly staying mum on the process. He declined to discuss a timetable Friday, explaining that might tip his hand at some candidates — since at least one is a sitting coordinator who’s preparing for a bowl. “Giving any more detail about it not only is inappropriate but also can impact the search,” he added.
Penn State isn’t looking to remake its offense. It’s trying to find a replacement who can “blend” with the program and build on what’s already been started. But, outside of that, Franklin isn’t saying much else — and his players don’t know much more.
“I try not to think about it too much because it can become a distraction,” wideout Jahan Dotson said during media day at Beaver Stadium. “So I just try to play my game. And I know whoever comes in here is going to have a great plan.”
In the interim, tight ends coach Tyler Bowen will take over OC duties while offensive analyst Kirk Campbell was promoted to quarterbacks coach. Bowen — and the rest of the assistants — will remain in consideration for the position, Franklin said, and practices have mostly gone on as usual.
Bowen’s voice is a little deeper, and his words tend to carry over the practice field. He also doesn’t yell quite as much as Rahne, players said, and some things are different — like no longer greeting the coordinator with claps — but, running back Journey Brown said, “There are no big changes.”
Ideally, that continuity is what Franklin would like to see in his next coordinator.
“We don’t really want someone to come in and start all over again,” he added.
At this point, pinpointing Penn State’s future coordinator is more fueled by speculation than facts — but that hasn’t stopped plenty of analysts and fans from dropping the same names. LSU’s Broyles Award winner, passing-game coordinator Joe Brady, is atop the wish list of most fans. Other names that continue to pop up include Minnesota OC Kirk Ciarrocca, Oklahoma State OC Sean Gleeson, Mississippi State passing-game coordinator Andrew Breiner and Bowen.
Most players said they’re intentionally not following the search.
“I’m not thinking about it all,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “Whoever Coach Franklin names as a coordinator, I’m going to build a good relationship with him and get going.”
Overall, the impact of Rahne’s departure has been limited. Penn State’s 2020 recruiting class lost just one offensive commit, in three-star OL Devin Willock — but Willock’s move was reportedly not related to Rahne leaving. Franklin told reporters on early signing day that, “Really, no one flinched.”
The Nittany Lions’ recruiting class still finished as the 12th-best in the nation, per 247 Sports.
And, according to one player who is still waffling between returning next season or declaring early for the NFL draft, the new coordinator might even be a “good thing.”
“It could impact it; it could not,” wideout KJ Hamler said, when asked if the next coordinator might affect his decision. “We don’t know who’s going to be the new offensive coordinator just yet, but it could be a good thing.”
Friday acted as the first time players spoke publicly about Rahne’s departure, although several wished him well on social media. Rahne’s departure caught a number of Nittany Lions off-guard — “I was surprised,” offensive tackle Will Fries acknowledged — but plenty of teammates, such as Brown and Dotson, still told reporters they understood the move.
“When an opportunity presents itself, you have to take a job like that,” Dotson said. “And we don’t blame him for it. We support him 100%.”
When Franklin does name the next coordinator, it will come later than he’s accustomed. Joe Moorhead was named Penn State’s OC on Dec. 12, 2015, while Rahne was promoted on Dec. 1, 2017. Of course, Franklin didn’t have to deal with his sitting coordinator leaving as late as Rahne in either of those instances, but this remains a unique circumstance.
Historically, Franklin has sometimes conducted interviews and hired coaches — such as OL coach Matt Limegrover — during the American Football Coaches Association Annual Convention, which runs from Jan. 12-14 in Nashville, Tennessee. And the final college football game, the national championship, will be played Jan. 13. So, it might not be until after then that a decision is announced.
But, in the meantime, Penn State’s players are doing their best not to worry about what comes next.
“We’re not really focused on the next offensive coordinator at all,” Freiermuth said. “We’ve got a game to play in the next week and a half.”
Added Clifford, referring to Franklin: “I trusted him when Coach Moorhead left, when Coach Rahne is now leaving, so I just put that in his hands. I know he’s going to make a great decision and, whoever the new OC is, he knows he’s going to get a really hard-working group and a group that’s really hungry to make it to that next level.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 4:02 PM.
