Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider has deep ties in West Virginia, so it’s no surprise he’s expected to draw interest for the head coaching job at Marshall. The school parted ways with coach Doc Holliday on Monday.
Seider played at West Virginia before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior season. He then spent eight years coaching at West Virginia and Marshall from 2008-16. He was Marshall’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2010-12, before moving on to become running backs coach at WVU from 2013-16.
Marshall is in Huntington, W. Va., so Seider certainly knows that program and area well.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman listed Seider as a possible candidate for the Marshall job here.
Another strong candidate figures to be former Penn State assistant Gerad Parker, who just finished his first season as West Virginia’s offensive coordinator. Parker was PSU’s receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2019. He also served as Purdue’s interim head coach for six games in 2016, going 0-6 after Darell Hazell was fired.
Gerad Parker
Seider just finished his third season as PSU’s running backs coach, after coming from Florida, where he had that same position for one season. He is considered an excellent recruiter and has great ties in Florida.
Whether Seider is ready to become a head coach just yet remains to be seen. He’s never been an offensive coordinator.
Still, Seider is very well thought of and highly respected, and that coupled with all of his ties to Marshall and the state of West Virginia can only help his cause.
Seider’s coaching Career (from his PSU bio page)
2020- pres. – Penn State (Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs)
2018-19 – Penn State (Running Backs)
2017 – Florida (Running Backs)
2013-16 – West Virginia (Running Backs)
2010-12 – Marshall (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2008-09 – West Virginia (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2006-07 – Lake Worth High School (Quarterbacks)
2003-05 – Palm Beach Lakes High School (Offensive Coordinator)
2001-02 – Glades Central High School (Running Backs)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A PLAYER
- Seider started his collegiate playing career at West Virginia University, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior season.
- He won the Doug Williams Award for National Offensive Player of the Year, Jake Gaither Award (considered the Heisman Trophy of Historically Black Colleges) and earned All-America honors after throwing for 2,512 yards and 27 touchdowns in 1999.
- Seider, who was the 1999 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
- Inducted into the Palm Beach County Hall of Fame in 2017.
Ja’Juan Seider
That’s it, that’s the tweet
— Trace Johnson®️ (@Trace_Johnson94) January 4, 2021
Feldman lists Ja’Juan Seider as a candidate for Marshall HC vacancy. Seider has become PSU’s top recruiter since Gattis/Huff left and has established a FL/PSU pipeline.
Would be a devastating blow, but might be an opp. Seider can’t pass up. https://t.co/EsKb07laCy
— RR. (@RonReddJr) January 4, 2021
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