Some of James Franklin’s longtime colleagues and confidants have left Penn State over the past few months.
Defensive coordinator Brent Pry left to become the head coach at Virginia Tech. Special teams coordinator Joe Lorig went to take the same position at Oregon, and strength coach Dwight Galt III– who worked with Franklin dating back to his days as an assistant at Maryland– announced his retirement.
Now, there will be another change, and this one is voluntary on Penn State’s end. The football program is looking to hire its first Director of Football Research and Strategy. Whoever is named to this position will be responsible for:
- Researching and producing football analytics studies relating to hiring and on the field performance.
- Preparing speeches and presentations for the Head Football Coach for internal and external speaking engagements.
- Assist the Director of Player Personnel and Director of High School Relations with the organization of camps and clinics
- Facilities coordination for the Lasch Building: schedule, plan, and coordinate the maintenance, repairs, and janitorial services with Office of Physical Plant; act as the liaison with outside building contractors when required; generate work assignments and purchase orders, as needed; assist the Head Coach and Chief of Staff in Program and Facility Master Planning; assist the Chief of Staff with the Lasch Construction Phases
- Assist Chief of Staff and Director of Football Administration with various travel responsibilities – For the Regular Season: create and maintain charter manifest related to team travel; arrange post-game meals. For the Post Season: calculate player travel cost from home to the site for bowl games; manage and organize bowl events and team meals; create and distribute bowl manual.
Additionally, Penn State is looking for multiple people to fill Offense/Defense Analyst roles and an equipment manager position left vacant when Stewart Carter left Penn State to join Pry at Virginia Tech.
