Source | Notre Dame Expected to Name Ja'Juan Seider Next RB Coach
It didn’t take long for Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman to make a significant move to fill the open running backs coach position.
Per ISD sources, Notre Dame is expected to hire Ja’Juan Seider, who has spent the last seven years at Penn State. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report.
Seider has served as Penn State’s running back coach since he arrived in Happy Valley in 2018, but he’s also added several titles to his resume. In 2020, James Franklin promoted him to run game coordinator and in 2022, Seider was named co-offensive coordinator. Seider was then made the assistant head coach in 2023 while keeping his co-offensive coordinator tag.
Notre Dame and Freeman are very familiar with Seider. The Florida native topped the Irish in a heated recruiting battle in 2021 for Nicholas Singleton and the two sides faced other in this year’s Orange Bowl in Miami.
Seider will inherit one of the nation’s top running back rooms in South Bend as Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price headline the Irish ground game. It should be noted that Seider will leave a loaded Penn State running back group he created with Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who both rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
Deland McCullough was known for maximizing multiple running backs. Seider did the same at Penn State. In 2024, Singleton carried the ball 172 times for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Allen finished with 220 rushes, 1.108 yards and eight touchdowns.
On the recruiting front, 2026 Harrisburg (Pa.) star Messiah Mickens is Penn State’s lone running back commit and the four-star prospect has visited South Bend. Savion Hiter and Javian Mallory also hold Penn State and Notre Dame offers.
Seider played quarterback at West Virginia in the late 90s before transferring for his final season at Florida A&M. During his one year at Florida A&M, Seider won the National Offensive Player of the Year and the Jake Gaither Award after throwing for 2,512 yards and 27 touchdowns.
The Seider File (Per Penn State Athletics)
2023-2025. - Penn State (Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
2022-23 - Penn State (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
2020-21 - Penn State (Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs)
2018-19 - Penn State (Running Backs)
2017 - Florida (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
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)
Notable Players Coached (Per Penn State Athletics)
- Miles Sanders (Penn State) - Philadelphia Eagles; 2019 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Wendell Smallwood (West Virginia) - Washington Redskins; 2016 NFL Draft fifth-round pick; Super Bowl LII Champion
- Charles Sims (West Virginia) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-17); 2014 NFL Draft third-round pick
- Rakeem Cato (Marshall) - CFL (2015-18); Two-time C-USA Offensive POY
- Jarrett Brown (West Virginia) - NFL (2010-12); CFL (2012-15)
- Geno Smith (West Virginia) - Seattle Seahawks; 2013 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Pat White (West Virginia) - Three-time All-Big East first team; 2009 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Dreamius Smith (West Virginia) - NFL (2015-17)
- Elijah Wellman (West Virginia) - Green Bay Packers
- Corey Tindal (Marshall) - CFL’S Ottawa Redblacks; C-USA Freshman of the Year
Under Armour White Notre Dame Fighting Irish HOVR Phantom 3 Running Shoes
