Notre Dame is set to hire Ja’Juan Seider from Penn State as its new running backs coach, according to reports. Seider will be replacing Deland McCullough, who departed Notre Dame to accept a similar role with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.
Seider has served as Penn State’s running backs coach since 2018. In 2020, head coach James Franklin promoted Seider to run game coordinator. In 2022, he was named co-offensive coordinator. Seider was named assistant head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2023.
Ja’Juan Seider a Familiar Face
Seider and Notre Dame squared off in this year’s Orange Bowl in Miami. Notre Dame emerged victoriously, defeating the Nittany Lions 27-24 in a hard-fought contest at Hard Rock Stadium. In Happy Valley, Seider’s tutelage developed Penn State’s two-headed monster in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Both ball carriers rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns on 172 carries last year. Allen amassed 1,108 yards and scored eight touchdowns on 220 rushes.
Singleton and Allen became just the third Penn State duo since 1960 to rush for 800-plus rushing yards each. The duo joins Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton (2013) and Tony Hunt and Michael Robinson (2005). Additionally, Singleton joins Saquon Barkley as the only Penn State freshman to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Barkley, now a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, gained 1,076 in 2015.
Both McCullough and Seider are known for maximizing multiple running backs. As a result, Seider inherits top-tier running backs in South Bend. Leading the Irish’s explosive rushing attack are Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Both players made an impact for the Fighting Irish this past year and are key cogs in the Irish’s offense looking ahead to the 2025 season.
Seider’s Road to South Bend
A Florida native, Seider played quarterback at West Virginia. He transferred to Florida A&M for his final collegiate season. Seider won the Doug Williams Award for National Offensive Player of the Year and the Jake Gaither Award in his one season at Florida A&M, throwing for 2,512 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was also named 1999 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. His coaching stops include West Virginia, Marshall, Florida, and Penn State.
Among some of the notable players he has coached include Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (West Virginia); Charles Sims (West Virginia), a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-17); and Miles Sanders (Penn State), a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and a 2019 NFL Draft second-round pick.
Though the official announcement could be days or weeks away, it seems clear that the hiring of Seider is a smart move for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. A seasoned coach, Seider understands the dynamics of managing and motivating a stacked backfield. And that is precisely the situation he is stepping into at Notre Dame.
Main Photo: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
