REPORT: Akron targeting Oregon assistant as next head coach

It appears Akron will soon have their new head coach. 

Per Bruce Feldman of “The Athletic,” the Zips are likely going to make Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead their next leader. They are expected to finalize the move after the Ducks play Utah for the Pac-12 title on Friday. 

Moorhead is from Pittsburgh, went to Fordham, and spent five years at Akron as an offensive assistant from 2004-2008, including a stint as offensive coordinator. He has also spent time at Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Connecticut, and Penn State as an assistant, and he was the Fordham head coach from 2012-2015 and the Mississippi State head coach from 2018-2019.

Moorhead has a 52-25 record as a head coach, but he is 0-2 in bowl games and has a 2-3 FCS playoff record. 

Akron parted ways with former head coach Tom Arth nearly a month ago. Arth went 2-7 this season and 3-24 in three years overall. Linebackers coach and associate head coach Oscar Rodriqguez Jr. has been serving as the interim coach in Arth’s absence.

Akron finished their year 2-10, losing their last two games by 38 and 35 points. They finished the regular season allowing 64 total sacks, which is the worst in the FBS by 14 sacks.

Moorhead addresses coaching rumors

On Sunday, following a 38-29 win over in-state rival Oregon State, Moorhead addressed the rumor that he was the leading candidate at Akron.

“All I can say is that all of my focus and attention is on doing the things that are necessary to help our offense prepare to play well,” Moorhead said.

After Oregon faces Utah, Moorhead said he’ll “deal with anything that happens after that.”

Barring complete chaos, the Ducks are out of the College Football Playoff picture. But they can still reach 12 wins this season, as they are currently 10-2.

The Ducks offense is playing well this year, averaging 33.2 points per game, which is third in the Pac-12. They have one of the better run games in the nation, posting 214 yards per contest even in the absence of star running back CJ Verdell. Quarterback Anthony Brown and running back Travis Dye have combined for 23 rushing touchdowns on the season. In total, the Ducks have 34 rushing touchdowns in 2021, tied for fourth in the nation.

Should Moorhead make the move to Akron, he will inherit one of the nation’s worst rushing teams. The Zips had just eight touchdowns on the ground all season and ranked 103rd in rushing yards per game.