Penn State Football: Shurmur and Smith Highlight Annual Coaching Clinic

Editor’s Note: This is the 15th in a series previewing Penn State football in all aspects, part of the countdown to the Blue-White Game on April 12 by StateCollege.com and Onward State. Read the previous stories here.

Want to make inroads with prospective recruits? Make sure their coaches get some quality coaching of their own from some of the state’s best NFL coaches.

James Franklin and his staff will do just that, hosting what could be hundreds of high school football coaches and two key speakers this coming April 4 and 5 during Penn State’s annual coaching clinic.

The speakers, two veteran NFL assistants in Pat Shurmur and Danny Smith, will help Franklin give a good first impression to many of the state’s top high school coaches from both ends of Pennsylvania.

Shurmur currently is in his second season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator and is in his 26th year of coaching, with the last 16 in the NFL. Prior to returning to Eagles, Shurmur was head coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12. Shurmur began his NFL coaching career with the Eagles (1999-2008) and then served as the St. Louis’ Rams offensive coordinator (2009-10) before becoming head coach of the Browns. Shurmur began his coaching career at Michigan State, his alma mater.

Similarly, Smith is in his second year as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ special teams coordinator and his 20th season as an NFL coach. Smith came to Pittsburgh after working as the Washington Redskins’ special teams coordinator (2004-12). A Pittsburgh native, Smith also has coached with Buffalo, Detroit and Philadelphia in the NFL and at Georgia Tech for eight seasons.

Franklin’s own football philosophies as Penn State’s newest head coach has put a new emphasis on the importance of special teams while bringing in an energetic style of coaching and football much like the newly revamped Eagles’ organization.

Additionally, as Penn State looks to further relationships with high school coaches and players across the state, a distinctively East/West flavor to Franklin’s first coaches clinic helps please both sides of the Keystone state.

Coaches interested in attending the Penn State Football Coaching Clinic can register or get more information by clicking HERE or by calling 814-865-0561, weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

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