PSU fires OC Kirk Ciarrocca after 1 season, names Cal (Pa.) grad Mike Yurcich as replacement

Penn State coach James Franklin will work with his third offensive coordinator in three seasons after hiring Mike Yurcich on Friday as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to replace Kirk Ciarrocca, who is gone after one season.

Welcome Coach Yurcich (@Coach_Yurcich)!

?: https://t.co/B6axM8uoiH#WeAre pic.twitter.com/eddLVIg5TJ

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 8, 2021

Yurcich, a 1999 graduate of Cal (Pa.), was offensive coordinator at Texas last season, but lost his job when coach Tom Herman was fired. The Longhorns were eighth in scoring offense (42.7 points per game) and 19th in total offense (475.4 yards).

He spent a season at Ohio State in 2019 as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach where he tutored Heisman Trophy finalist and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Justin Fields.

Prior to his time in Columbus, Ohio, Yurcich coached Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph at Oklahoma State where the Cowboys averaged 38 points and 478.3 yards per game in his six years (2013-2018) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

In that time, Oklahoma State scored 40 or more points 35 times and 50 or more 15 times. Rudolph threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2017 and 2016, and the Cowboys were one of two Power 5 teams in ‘16 to produce a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher (Justice Hill of the Baltimore Ravens) and 1,000-yard receiver (James Washington of the Steelers).

Yurcich, a native of Euclid, Ohio, is no stranger to Pennsylvania. He was quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Edinboro in 2015 before he was named offensive coordinator there, a title he held from 2006-10. He also was offensive coordinator at Shippensburg in 2011 and ‘12.

Ciarrocca was offensive coordinator at Minnesota from 2017-19 before Franklin hired him to replace Ricky Rahne, who left to become head coach at Old Dominion.

Penn State opened the abbreviated season on a five-game losing streak before winning the final four games, including a 56-21 victory against Illinois in the finale.

The Nittany Lions (4-5) finished second in the Big Ten in offensive touchdowns (32) and total offense (an average of 430.3 yards per game). Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who has announced he will return next season, led the conference in receiving yards (884).

But it was not enough to save Ciarrocca’s job.

I’ll be back in 2021 to give y’all the summary ... Chapter 4?? @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/K8jQMeDNuJ

— Jahan Dotson (@H55ZY) January 7, 2021

“First, I would like to thank Kirk for his contributions to our program last year,” Franklin said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision, but felt it was best for our program to make a change. We wish him and his family all the best in their future endeavors.”

Meanwhile, Franklin called Yurcich “an impressive offensive mind and talented play caller.”

”I look forward to seeing what he can do with all of the offensive weapons we have here at Penn State. I have followed Mike’s career for a long time, dating back to his time in the PSAC at Shippensburg and Edinboro. We look forward to bringing Mike and his family back to Pennsylvania.”

“Having spent 11 years in the state of Pennsylvania as a player and coach, I understand the significance of this duty and will represent properly and with humble pride,” Yurcich said in a statement.