While CFB Saturdays remain vacant, a couple of ancillary offshoots help fill the air. Whatever your opinions on it, the transfer portal at least provides some zest between January and Spring Football. But most schools have concluded their business, and National Signing Day is also past us. The drama in this sport doesn’t cease, though. The coaching carousel is perpetually rotating, and picks up speed this time of year. James Franklin and Penn State have been riding on this proverbial carousel the longest and are yet to come off.
The most noteworthy revelation from James Franklin’s camp this offseason has been uprooting defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from B1G contemporaries at Ohio State. Even a Natty-winning blueblood couldn’t fight echoes of yearning from Happy Valley. Now, Franklin identified another blueblood program to uproot a member of staff from. To fill a void created by Marcus Freeman, who beat him in the Orange Bowl, snatching away one from his own. Easy to see why it’s called a coaching carousel! Notre Dame has lured Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider to South Bend. Interestingly, this all happened under wraps without much reporting in the media. The Irish haven’t even announced it officially, and James Franklin has already addressed it.
“Ja’Juan Seider, after being with us for seven years, did a great job for us, has moved on,” Franklin said during his winter press conference. “We wish him nothing but the best.” He replaces Deland McCullough at ND, who left for the Raiders in the NFL. Momentarily after James Franklin’s comments, discourse around State College shifted to the successor. Their running backs are the crown jewel for the Nittany Lions. The 2-headed monster of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton in the backfield is returning next season. Naturally, a top-end RB coach is requisite. That said, James Franklin found somebody who fits the bill. Following on from Knowles, his next heist took him down to the southeast. Newman, in particular. However, he’s been stopped in his tracks.
The Oklahoma Sooners’ first year in the SEC didn’t go to plan. A below .500 year isn’t what Brent Venables had in mind. To add to his misery, Penn State tried to take his RB coach, DeMarco Murray. This was reported by On3’s Pete Nakos. 3x Pro Bowler Murray is an OU alum and one of the hottest commodities around. Ohio State even tried to land him a year or so ago but failed. Well, lightning has struck twice. DeMarco Murray has turned down Penn State’s approaches, as per Rivals. He did hold discussions with the suitors but is staying put with the Sooners. A huge shot in the arm for Venables and one in the foot for Franklin.
Despite engaging in conversations with Penn State about their vacant running backs job, DeMarco Murray is staying on staff with the #Sooners, sources tell https://t.co/QPZYipVqGd.
Details from @Bdrumm_Rivals…
https://t.co/PFwRt1xf7N pic.twitter.com/OQuV04DVD1
— OUInsider (@OUInsider) February 12, 2025
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