Penn State hires Virginia assistant as wide receivers coach
Marques Hagans spent his entire coaching career at Virginia, his alma mater, first as a graduate assistant and then as wide receivers coach and associate head coach.
It took a lot for him to leave Charlottesville, Va., where he starred as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Cavaliers, where he met his wife and where their two sons were born.
The presence of Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, one of Hagans’ mentors, influenced his decision to join the Nittany Lions staff last month.
“My second year in college he was my coach,” Hagans said Tuesday. “In the UVa community, he’s admired. He’s looked up to. He’s probably one of the best players to ever play at UVa.
“The respect that he has and that he garners every day is one of the reasons why my son is named Christopher Dex. That’s a big part of who he is to me and my family. The opportunity to reunite with him here is a big part of it.”
Hagans replaced Taylor Stubblefield, who was fired by Penn State coach James Franklin after three seasons as wide receivers coach. He will direct a position that lost Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, the Lions’ top two receivers last season.
“Our excitement for Marques Hagans is really high,” Franklin said Tuesday. “He’s got a really good resume. Everybody you talk to just loves Marques. It’s very similar to how people feel about Coach Poindexter.
“You guys know how I feel about Coach Poindexter and his family. To have him specifically vouch for Marques and his family carried a lot of weight.”
Hagans described his coaching style as very demanding and relationship-driven. He enjoys building bonds with the players he’s guiding.
“If you don’t do that, then you’re just like a supervisor,” he said. “If there are no relationships, you’re just overseeing a bunch of guys and telling them what to do. I think the relationship piece is what makes it different. That’s very important to me.”
Hagans was close to the Virginia receivers, particularly Lavel Davis Jr., one of the three Cavaliers football players who were killed in an on-campus shooting in November. Hagans coached Davis and Devin Chandler, who transferred last year from Wisconsin to Virginia. Linebacker D’Sean Perry also was killed, allegedly by former Virginia football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.
Davis would even attend the baseball games of Hagans’ sons when he was out of town on recruiting trips, according to one report.
“I don’t know if you necessarily move on,” Hagans said about the shooting. “Those three guys will always be a part of my life. I have a tattoo on my (right) arm so I’ll never forget them. Their families will always be a part of my family. They’re three families that I love very deeply.
“I’m at a different place, but those families and Lavel, D’Sean and Devin will always be a part of me, my heart, my life and my family.”
At home, Hagans’ wife, Lauren, a former UVa basketball player, is a breast cancer survivor who will remain in the Charlottesville area with their sons until the school year ends.
“My family won’t join me until the summer,” he said. “Going into spring ball without having any family here for the first time is definitely part of the transition. I also think change is good. It’s part of growth. It’s a new opportunity.”
Hagans grew up in Newport News, Va., where he had a famous role model, former Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson. Even though Hagan is seven years younger than Iverson, the two became close and remain close.
“A.I. is someone I grew up around,” Hagans said. “We all played for the same rec league team. He’s become a big brother to me. My kids look up to him. He’s always around them. He’s always checking on them.
“To have someone like that – he’s arguably one of the best players to ever play professional basketball – be from your neighborhood and be a big supporter of mine means a lot. I would say he’s a real close friend.”
Hagans watched the Penn State wide receivers on the field for the first time Tuesday when the Lions started winter conditioning. He hopes he can begin establishing lifelong relationships with them, like the one he has with Poindexter.
“Football is a small window to what we do,” he said. “Hopefully the relationships are impactful enough where I can go to weddings, see kids be born, see families grow and see young men get the opportunity to provide a living for their families. That’s why you do it.
“The focal point for me is getting to know my guys so I can help them become the best in all aspects of their lives, not just football.”