Penn State names Kirk Ciarrocca its new offensive coordinator
As the Penn State football team prepares to face Memphis in Saturday’s Cotton Bowl, they also will be welcoming a new member to the coaching staff.
Kirk Ciarrocca, a native of Lewisberry, Pa., has been hired as the Nittany Lions offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Ciarrocca spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Minnesota.
We are excited to welcome offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach @KirkCiarrocca to the #PennState Football family! ?⚪️
?: https://t.co/eHOCPc5DYC#WeAre pic.twitter.com/cPT4XrBTTH
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 26, 2019
“He is a veteran coordinator who also has deep Pennsylvania roots and ties,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in a statement. “His most recent successes as an offensive coordinator caught our eye. What impressed me most about Kirk in the hiring process was his humility and his willingness to make this an easy transition for our players.”
Ciarrocca replaces Ricky Rahne, who earlier this month took a position as head coach at Old Dominion.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to work at a program as rich in tradition as Penn State University,” Ciarrocca said in a statement. “It is an honor and a privilege to join Coach Franklin’s staff and to work alongside such a successful head football coach. Having grown up a Penn State fan, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as your offensive coordinator.”
Under Ciarrocca’s guidance this season, the Golden Gophers (10-2) had the third-highest scoring offense in program history. He was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant coach. Minnesota defeated then-fourth-ranked Penn State, 31-26, earlier this season and earned a trip to the Outback Bowl, where it will play Auburn on Jan. 1.
Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan set program records for single-season passing yards (2,975), touchdown passes (28) and consecutive games with a TD pass (12).
Ciarrocca also spent four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Western Michigan and coached at Delaware, Richmond, Rutgers, Penn, Princeton, Western Connecticut State, Delaware Valley College and Temple over the past 18 years.
He played defensive back at Juniata before transferring to Temple where he graduated in 1990.
Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.
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