OC Mike Yurcich leaves for Ohio State
Oklahoma State will reportedly find itself with a vacancy at offensive coordinator for the first time since 2013 with the departure of Mike Yurcich.
Reported as a candidate for multiple jobs in recent weeks, Yurcich has accepted a position at Ohio State, according to a report from ESPN, which adds that Yurcich’s exact position with Ohio State hasn’t been determined, only that he’ll coach quarterbacks under new Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.
In his six seasons at OSU, Yurcich’s offense has averaged 38.0 points and 478.3 yards per game. Four times, his offense’s total yardage production has ranked in OSU’s top 10 in school history.
The initial report of Yurcich’s departure surfaced about the time the Cowboys were sealing their Liberty Bowl win on Monday night, via GoPokes.com, though it did not specify a destination for Yurcich.
“At some point, Mike’s gonna move on,” OSU head coach Mike Gundy said of Yurcich on Sunday. “We would love to keep him here. We’re not gonna be able to pay what other schools could potentially offer him.”
Asked about the report following Monday’s game, Gundy reiterated his thoughts about Yurcich’s future career path.
During bowl week, as speculation about Yurcich increased, Gundy spoke about how highly he came to value continuity at the offensive coordinator position. Prior to Yurcich’s sixyear run, the Cowboys had been cycling through offensive coordinators every year or two.
That could be a factor in Gundy’s search for his next coordinator.
Todd Monken, the former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator who had been in the same position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until the staff was let go on Sunday night, has been speculated as a candidate to fill Yurcich’s void in recent days.
ESPN’s report mentioned North Texas offensive coordinator Graham Harrell as a potential candidate.
Oregon co-offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo had a successful stint as OSU’s running backs coach in 2015-16, and could possibly be lured back.
If Gundy wants to stick with stability, his best options might be already on staff, in offensive line coach Josh Henson or receivers coach Kasey Dunn, or a combination of the two.
And of course, there’s always the possibility that Gundy travels the path down which he found Yurcich at Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University to dig up an unexpected and largely unknown candidate.