Franklin adds more firepower to offensive coaching staff with two additions

James Franklin made what most believe to be a great move when he hired Mike Yurcich as offensive coordinator, even though it meant moving on from Kirk Ciarrocca after only one season.

Over the past few days, Franklin has added even more firepower to Penn State’s offensive coaching staff.

Last week, Franklin brought in veteran NFL offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as an offensive analyst.

And today, Franklin has hired former pro quarterback Danny O’Brien as an offensive analyst.

These are two shrewd moves by Franklin, no doubt, that should pay big dividends behind the scenes.

Yurcich has a system designed to score a lot of points, and in Loggains and O’Brien, there is a wealth of coaching and playing experience, respectively, to help the offense maximize efficiency.

Today’s hire, O’Brien, was working as running backs coach for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.

“We congratulate Danny on a big opportunity for a young coach working his way into the profession. We wish him well,” BC Lions GM and coach Rick Campbell said in a team statement.

O’Brien played quarterback at Maryland and Wisconsin from 2010-12 before finishing up his college career at Division II Catawba College. He then spent six seasons in the Canadian Football League, playing for four different teams as a reserve quarterback. His final pro season was 2019. Here is a look at his career.

Last week it was announced that Loggains was brought in as an analyst, giving Penn State someone who has been an NFL offensive coordinator for six seasons with the Titans, Bears and Jets. He spent the past two seasons as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Here is a look at his career.

Loggains has vast experience calling plays and coaching quarterbacks, so he could end up being a valuable piece of the staff as Yurcich takes over and tries to help develop Sean Clifford into a more consistent player.

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