Last October, Mike Yurcich was abruptly fired from Penn State. The former offensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions has now secured a new position.
FootballScoop reported on Tuesday that Yurcich will become the offensive coordinator for Youngstown State. After a season away from collegiate football, the Ohio native is joining the local FCS program.
Yurcich was Penn State’s offensive coordinator for the most of three seasons. James Franklin hired the former Texas, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State assistant to take Kirk Ciarocca’s place after the latter was fired after spending the 2020 season in Happy Valley due to COVID.
After setting records as a play-caller at Division II Shippensburg, Yurcich had a reputation for creating explosive offenses, which he carried with him to Penn State.
Yurcich had a poor first season at Penn State, scoring 25 points per game on average (90th in the FBS). The rise of rookie running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen was a major factor in the offense’s 2022 improvement (35.8 points per game, 20th place), which helped them win the Rose Bowl. However, Yurcich failed to finish the 2023 season with his employment still in place.
The Nittany Lions had a terrible season against their best opponents last season, especially with rookie quarterback Drew Allar, whom Yurcich helped recruit. Penn State lost to Michigan and Ohio State by a total of 27 points. On November 12, 2023, the day after Penn State’s dreams of making the College Football Playoffs were crushed against Michigan, Yurcich was fired.
Andy Kotelnicki, a Kansas coordinator, was hired by Franklin and Penn State to succeed Yurcich. Given how crucial Kotelnicki’s creative offense has been to the Nittany Lions’ success this season, the move turned out to be a wise one. Penn State is set to meet Notre Dame in the CFP playoff, tight end Tyler Warren won the Mackey Award, and Allar has improved.
On Thursday night in the Orange Bowl, we’ll see how Kotelnicki’s offense performs against the Irish’s renowned defense. The game between Penn State and Notre Dame begins at 7:30 p.m.
Stories by
Johnny McGonigal
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