FC: PSU fires Yurcich

[Tbux]

It's like good news and bad news.....the good news is that many wanted Yurcich gone and now he's gone.....the bad news? The bad news is it wasn't Yurcich. The guy has evidenced throughout his career that he's capable developing productive and highly rated offenses. He was at Oklahoma State for 6 years as OC/QB coach, the last 3 of which they had a top 10 offense. That in spite of Okie St never having a recruiting class in the top 25. He left Okie St to go to Ohio State for a year where he was QB Coach and Passing Game coordinator. With a first year starter at QB, his passing offense ranked 5th in the nation in passing efficiency. He left OSU after a year to take the OC job at Texas for a year before Sark was hired then PSU. The guy didn't suddenly become a bad coach when he landed in Happy Valley. The answer to the offensive issues at PSU lie elsewhere.....

 

[dcf4psu]

Maybe we are better off that Franklin doesn't take over play calling. His numbers as an OC are not that good.

 

[Blair10]

The highest profile programs do. Not sure Penn State administration views the program at that elite level, or not yet, so their expectations are high but not the highest. So 10-2 is not underachieving even when those losses are against our most hated rivals.

James Franklin's pay is in the top10-15 range. Commensurate with on-field records lately and recruiting performance. There are coaches with comparable contracts performing worse than Penn State. Clemson, USC, A&M (whoops), Kentucky, Tennessee, Miami, Florida. Harbaugh is outperforming his pay, but only after a pay cut AND cheating to get there.

James Franklin himself has said 10-2 and losing to our biggest rivals (Ohio State and Michigan) is not acceptable. So, I can’t imagine the PSU administration would disagree.

The metric and most important metric for comparisons is our top B1G conference rivals Ohio State and Michigan. Penn State must be competitive with those programs. That’s the bar. I could care less what other schools outside the B1G are doing. Franklin’s record (4-16) against Ohio State and Michigan is not competitive. Not even close (an 80% loss percentage).

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

Does Pat Kraft have any input on the hire ? Can he limit JF's control over the OC ? This will be his 6th OC, as
many noted there's a pattern here.
Same goes for the WR's coach we're on our 5th coach , the only one who stood out was Gattis , and he himself
is a step too far as an OC.
If Franklin has too much say in the Offensive game plan it has to stop , too many people are watching and ticked off.

 

[GrimReaper]

Does Pat Kraft have any input on the hire ? Can he limit JF's control over the OC ? This will be his 6th OC, as
many noted there's a pattern here.
Same goes for the WR's coach we're on our 5th coach , the only one who stood out was Gattis , and he himself
is a step too far as an OC.
If Franklin has too much say in the Offensive game plan it has to stop , too many people are watching and ticked off.

Not much unless he wants to go to open war with his head coach, a tangle he'd likely lose.

 

[CbusLion]

James Franklin himself has said 10-2 and losing to our biggest rivals (Ohio State and Michigan) is not acceptable. So, I can’t imagine the PSU administration would disagree.

The metric and most important metric for comparisons is our top B1G conference rivals Ohio State and Michigan. Penn State must be competitive with those programs. That’s the bar. I could care less what other schools outside the B1G are doing. Franklin’s record (4-16) against Ohio State and Michigan is not competitive. Not even close (an 80% loss percentage).

What else would he say? Of course he's not going to say it's acceptable.

He also says "1-0", and that the big-name games don't matter as much if you lose the small-name games. Which is true.

Utimately I don't disagree with you, OSU and UM are the games that mean the most to me. Personally I'd trade any other game this year for a win over either of them just to show that we are capable of beating a top5 team. I'm disappointed with the record as well, but I don't think the administration is as frustrated as we are.

 

[Midnighter]

It's like good news and bad news.....the good news is that many wanted Yurcich gone and now he's gone.....the bad news? The bad news is it wasn't Yurcich. The guy has evidenced throughout his career that he's capable developing productive and highly rated offenses. He was at Oklahoma State for 6 years as OC/QB coach, the last 3 of which they had a top 10 offense. That in spite of Okie St never having a recruiting class in the top 25. He left Okie St to go to Ohio State for a year where he was QB Coach and Passing Game coordinator. With a first year starter at QB, his passing offense ranked 5th in the nation in passing efficiency. He left OSU after a year to take the OC job at Texas for a year before Sark was hired then PSU. The guy didn't suddenly become a bad coach when he landed in Happy Valley. The answer to the offensive issues at PSU lie elsewhere.....

Exactly it. Even if not the architect of the offenses at other programs, he still implemented them. And now, he’s running Franklin’s offense (or was).

 

[Calabrin]

But in Allar’s first season as the starter, the offense has been inconsistent and struggled to make big plays. Though they actually rank 15th in scoring, the Nittany Lions rank 102nd in yards per play. Per TruMedia, just 8.9 percent of Penn State’s plays qualify as explosive gains (rushes of 12-plus yards and passes of 16-plus yards), which ranks 126th. The Nittany Lions are last in the FBS with only 3.4 percent of plays gaining 20 yards or more.

Important stats, despite what Franklin will tell you about “total offense” being overrated.

These stats suggest we can’t reliably drive the field. Our scoring is dependent upon the defense giving us a short field. Anything that’s more than a chip shot, and we can’t hack it.

And many of us were aware of this issue as early as the Illinois game.

 

[Tbux]

Exactly it. Even if not the architect of the offenses at other programs, he still implemented them. And now, he’s running Franklin’s offense (or was).

Taking it one step further, the last 2 offenses he ran at Okie St were ranked 2nd and 10th nationally. He left to go to Ohio State and work for Day and Okie State has not fielded an offense in the top 20, the last 3 were ranked 56th, 52nd and currently 42nd since he left. I dearly hope this isn't the trajectory for PSU, but it definitely is not going help Allar's development by having to learn a new system under a different OC/QB coach. Feel badly for the kid, hope he sticks around, he's got loads of talent.

 

[TheTwistedFrog]

It's time to get on the Saban Plan and find someone looking for a second chance at the Power 5 level.

 

[Nits74]

The highest profile programs do. Not sure Penn State administration views the program at that elite level, or not yet, so their expectations are high but not the highest. So 10-2 is not underachieving even when those losses are against our most hated rivals.

James Franklin's pay is in the top10-15 range. Commensurate with on-field records lately and recruiting performance. There are coaches with comparable contracts performing worse than Penn State. Clemson, USC, A&M (whoops), Kentucky, Tennessee, Miami, Florida. Harbaugh is outperforming his pay, but only after a pay cut AND cheating to get there.

So therein lies a big part of the problem. But, the school does have academics to fall back on. Oops.

 

[BobPSU92]

Not much unless he wants to go to open war with his head coach, a tangle he'd likely lose.

ALIGNMENT.

 

[CbusLion]

So therein lies a big part of the problem. But, the school does have academics to fall back on. Oops.

Agreed. They should aim for elite, and fund in accordance.

If you're looking for a bright side, the staff salary total has gotten bigger the past few years and we've gained some ground in the facilities department. Stadium reno pending. Still work to do, but it's better than it was.

 

[rudedude]

The addition of the West Coast teams just made 10-2 more difficult. Look at PSU's future schedules.

PAC 12 teams play no defense. They will be in for a rude awakening vs other BIG teams especially in colder weather.

 

[rudedude]

One thing to consider is did Yurich ignore the game plan and start winging it? Is it possible Franklin wondered with us why run all the way to a 1st and goal then start passing? Could he have wondered what happened to the TE passes or why the horizontal passes?
Franklin is responsible for the program and takes the heat but maybe he’s not 100% at fault?

 

[GrimReaper]

Saban fired Kiffin.

Let us know when Big Game James next makes the playoffs and fires his OC who has taken a better job.

 

[LB99]

Let us know when Big Game James next makes the playoffs and fires his OC who has taken a better job.

I would love to be able to do that

 

[GrimReaper]

I would love to be able to do that

You'll never get the chance.

 

[LB99]

You'll never get the chance.

The amount of hate and time you and some others put into spouting towards him is sad.

 

[GrimReaper]

The amount of hate and time you and some others put into spouting towards him is sad.

You mistake criticism for hate and it doesn't take much time at all.

 

[LB99]

You mistake criticism for hate and it doesn't take much time at all.

My mistake. You sure spend a lot of time “criticizing” all things PSU.

 

[GrimReaper]

You sure spend a lot of time “criticizing” all things PSU.

There's a lot to criticize and without criticism opportunities to improve are missed.

 

[Zenophile]

The worst thing that had happened to this program in the last ten years was that blocked fg against OSU. We lost that game, like we were supposed to, CJF would have been fired 3-4 years ago

Interesting observation.
Hypothetical follow-up Q: Do you really think Barber was capable of pulling that trigger?

 

[StamfordBridgeVikingatLeftOffensiveTackle]

Interesting observation.
Hypothetical follow-up Q: Do you really think Barber was capable of pulling that trigger?

I think the final approval for any such decision would be with the BOT or, most likely, a smaller group of BOT powerbrokers.

 

[GrimReaper]

I think the final approval for any such decision would be with the BOT or, most likely, a smaller group of BOT powerbrokers.

Agree, with the caveat that the move toward dismissal would germinate at that smaller group level, regardless of who the AD (or even President) was. That is the locus of power when it comes to decisions regarding the football program, and it might be just one person.

 

[BobPSU92]

Interesting observation.
Hypothetical follow-up Q: Do you really think Barber was capable of pulling that trigger?

One day, we will look back at Sandy’s tenure as the athletic department’s golden age.

 

[BobPSU92]

I think the final approval for any such decision would be with the BOT or, most likely, a smaller group of BOT powerbrokers.

UNANIMOUS.

 

[GrimReaper]

One day, we will look back at Sandy’s tenure as the athletic department’s golden age.

Be careful there, Bob. I know that you write that in jest, but one day you might wake up and discover that you're right.

 

[BostonNit]

One day, we will look back at Sandy’s tenure as the athletic department’s golden age.

Kinda like celebrating that only 50 million people died from the Bubonic Plague.