Why new WR coach Taylor Stubblefield says he wants to be with Penn State football for ‘a long time’
Stability has been hard to come by for Penn State football when it comes to its wide receivers coaches. The Nittany Lions have had a different coach at the position in each of the past three seasons and that streak of change will extend to four once they take the field in the fall.
If Penn State head coach James Franklin and the newest wide receivers coach, Taylor Stubblefield, have their way, that streak will come to an end next year.
Stubblefield told a crowd of reporters Wednesday afternoon that he has every intention of staying at Penn State for multiple years.
“This is a place I want to be at for a very long time,” Stubblefield said. “I know that can sound like lip service and the years will tell the story. But yeah, I want to be here for a very long time.”
Franklin said finding a coach that will stay at Penn State was important in the hiring process.
“(He’s) a guy that has been a number of places,” Franklin said. “(I) had a lot of conversations in hiring him about the stability aspect of it ... We need stability (and) he needs it to. It’s something he needs and we both need right now. I think that helps.”
The new wide receivers coach has had his share of stability issues as well. Stubblefield has changed jobs 10 times since 2007 with his longest stay clocking in at two years. It’s easy to be skeptical of his comments about staying at Penn State for an extended period, but Stubblefield said it’s what’s best for him and the team right now.
“That’s what I need,” He said. “I need it for my career. I want to learn the way Coach Franklin has operated his program. I want to learn what (offensive coordinator) Kirk Ciarrocca does (on) offense so I can have it be a part of what I will do in the future. Selfishly, that’s the reason why I want stability. That’s because I need it.”
He went as far to say that he knows what his response will be if a team comes calling next year to hire him as an offensive coordinator or a head coach.
“I feel like I’m fairly aware of my abilities,” Stubblefield said. “I know that I’m not ready (to be a head coach or coordinator) for four or five years. I know that ... If somebody calls me next year and says, ‘Hey we want you to be our offensive coordinator,’ I’m going to tell them no. I know I’m going to tell them no. Because I know there are still parts of my development that I need to learn.”
The new wide receivers coach expanded on why he isn’t ready, saying he wants to be as prepared as possible for those kinds of jobs. He doesn’t want to be in a position where he’s lost when a play is called or isn’t fully prepared for the challenges that come with being a coordinator or head coach.
Of course, he’ll need to find success as a wide receivers coach at Penn State first to be in position for such a promotion. As it stands, he’ll be taking over a position group that lacks production and is in need of a tactician to teach it the nuances of playing wide receiver.
Stubblefield said his coaching style matches that profile.
“(My coaching style is) detailed and direct),” he said. “I have lots of fun. We will make sure that we get the job done. I’ll be consistent with my coaching approach and the words that I say so there’s no confusion among players.”
Thus far he’s only seen one workout with his players, but Stubblefield had the chance to have dinner with them Tuesday night and get to know their personalities. The group is excited for the opportunity ahead with the departure of K.J. Hamler for the National Football League.
Hamler was last year’s leading receiver with 904 yards and eight touchdowns.
“There’s some awesome personalities in that room,” Stubblefield said. “There are some young guys that have the fire lit inside of them to prove themselves early. Shoot, there’s some younger guys that are excited about their opportunity.”
With that being said, there isn’t a great way to determine who will step up until he sees the wide receivers hit the field for spring practice. Until then, Stubblefield will learn about who they are as people and how they act in workouts.
He could have the chance to keep getting to know the wide receivers for several years and continue learning at Penn State, a place he has long admired from afar.
“This is one of the best programs in the country that has built stability itself,” he said. “To be a part of this program is what I’ve been looking for. I could’ve stayed at Miami and completed the turnaround there. But this is an opportunity that I’ve been wanting for four or five years at this particular spot, under Coach Franklin.”
With any luck, the union between Stubblefield and the Nittany Lions will be a long one that brings stability to both coach and team.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 6:53 PM.
