Penn State football offensive assistant departs for same role with SEC program
A fourth Penn State assistant from last year’s staff has found a new landing spot.
Running backs coach Stan Drayton was hired by South Carolina, the school announced Thursday morning. He will join the staff as its running backs coach and assistant head coach.
Drayton is widely regarded as one of the best running backs coaches in the country and leaves after spending only one year with Penn State. He helped running back Kaytron Allen take a massive step forward and become the program’s all-time leading rusher and the first Nittany Lion to reach 4,000 rushing yards in a career. Allen flourished under Drayton, while fellow running back Nick Singleton struggled early on. However, Singleton was able to regain his form late in the season after James Franklin was fired as the team’s head coach.
The running backs coach’s departure makes four Nittany Lion coaches who have found new jobs — Danny O’Brien (QBs at Virginia Tech), Ty Howle (offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech) and Jim Knowles (defensive coordinator at Tennessee) all have agreed to leave the program.
New head coach Matt Campbell could be looking at a completely new offensive staff with no holdovers if offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein depart.
