Taylor Stubblefield Fired as PSU WR Coach

Taylor Stubblefield has been relieved of his duties as Penn State’s wide receivers coach.

Stubblefield announced the news Sunday night, and head coach James Franklin confirmed what happened not long after.

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— Taylor Stubblefield (@CoachStubbs) January 16, 2023

In a statement, Franklin thanked Stubblefield for his time at Penn State, but said he feels “it is in our program’s best interest to make a change at this time.”

“I wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future,” Franklin said.

Stubblefield had been Penn State for three seasons, starting the job in 2020.

“As my time at Penn State draws to a close,” Stubblefield wrote, “I want to extend a debt of gratitude to all of my players for trusting me, buying in, allowing me to coach them and for giving me their all. It has been an honor to help develop a first-round draft pick, at this institution, for the first time since 2003.”

That receiver, of course is Jahan Dotson. In Stubblefield’s relatively brief tenure, he oversaw Dotson’s development. Dotson became one of college football’s best receivers over the 2020 and ‘21 seasons.

Dotson ended his college career fourth on Penn State’s all-time receiving list and finished second in school history in receiving touchdowns and catches. Dotson went 16th overall in this past year’s NFL Draft and just wrapped up his first season with the Washington Commanders.

Before getting into coaching, Stubblefield had an excellent playing career at Purdue University.

Taylor Stubblefield ended his college career with the NCAA record for receptions and finished second in Big Ten history in receiving yards. His Big Ten receptions record still stands, and his national receptions record lasted until 2011. After Purdue, Stubblefield played professional football for two seasons, spending time with the Carolina Panthers (2005) and St. Louis Rams (2006) and also spending two stints with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats during 2005 and ‘06, respectively. After his playing career ended, Stubblefield started his coaching career in 2007 with as Central Washington’s WR coach. He spent a season there and a season at Eastern Michigan as a graduate assistant/WR coach before moving on to Illinois State for the 2009 season. He coached receivers at Illinois State for two seasons and then spent single years at Central Michigan, New Mexico and Wake Forest before moving on to Utah for the 2014-15 seasons.

Stubblefield then briefly left college football to coach receivers for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. Since then, he’s coached at Air Force (2017-18), Miami (2019) and Penn State (2020-22).

In Stubblefield’s last game, Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith set a Rose Bowl record with an 88-yard touchdown reception. Penn State beat Utah, 35-21.

In his statement, Stubblefield wrote that it had been a “privilege to work alongside some of the great minds in all of college football.”

”Lastly, to the community who supported who has supported my wife and son through her father’s recent illness and passing on Friday, there is no way we can adequately thank you,” he wrote. “This community has exceeded every expectation.

“WE ARE… eternally grateful.”