Cutting Ties
It was an early morning in December when the YSU community was met with shocking news that almost nobody had anticipated, the football program would be parting ways with offensive coordinator Troy Rothenbuhler.
Coach Troy had been with YSU since Doug Phillips took the head coaching job in 2020, playing an instrumental role in reviving YSU's offense and architecting a system that helped build Mitch Davidson's legacy. Rothenbuhler had found success throughout his entire career with YSU, but his shortcomings in year five ultimately resulted in Doug Phillips jumping the gun and waving farewell to one of his close friends.
With Beau Brungard taking over for star QB Mitch Davidson, Rothenbuhler was tasked with adapting to a different play style and forming an offensive system around the young prospect. Throughout the course of the transition year, YSU's offense relied heavily on time of possession, leading the entire country, both FCS and FBS, with an average of 36 minutes per game.
This approach proved to be disastrous as YSU's offense struggled to generate explosive plays and consistently grind out drives. The lack of creativity and inability to adjust led to Rothenbuhler's inevitable fate.
In his postgame presser vs UNI, Doug Phillips alluded to the possibility of change, but didn't lay out specific details. He said, "Close isn't good enough, we've got to find ways to win [more] football games, that's gonna be the focus going into December."
Continuing on, Phillips emphasized that the YSU football program needed to reevaluate itself and focus on improving in several "areas," which include coaching, offense, defense, roster management, etc.
After about three weeks of reflecting on the 2024 campaign, Doug Phillips understood that advancement of the program would require a shift in offensive philosophy. Moving on from Rothenbuhler, coach Phillips embarked upon a new journey, finding a coordinator.
Splashy Hire
A little less than a month after beginning the search for a new offensive coordinator, Doug Phillips struck gold. Mike Yurcich, a native of Euclid, Ohio, decided to come home after being fired by Penn State in 2023 following a loss to the soon to be national champs, the Michigan Wolverines.
With an impressive resume that includes stops at Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Texas, and, as already mentioned, Penn State, Doug Phillips made arguably one of his best hires since arriving in Youngstown in the midst of COVID.
Yurcich played a critical role in founding one of Oklahoma State's most prominent offensive eras. During his six-year stint in Stillwater, the Cowboys averaged 38.0 points and 478.3 yards per game.
Yurcich was a key factor in developing walk-on quarterback Taylor Cornelius, turning the Bushland HS product into a top ten ranked player in numerous categories. He also received credit for Mason Rudolph's impressive 4,000 yard season (2017) and the emergence of three one thousand yard contributors: WR James Washington (1,549), WR Marcell Ateman (1,156), and RB Justice Hill (1,467).
Following an impressive tenure at Oklahoma State, Yurcich made the choice to return to his home state and join forces with Ryan Day as the QB coach for the Buckeyes. In Yurcich's lone season in Columbus, quarterback Justin Fields was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, and the Heisman Trophy while also being named the BIG Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Seizing another opportunity, Yurcich bolted back into the South, this time entering the Lone Star State to take on the play calling duties at Texas. Under the leadership of Yurcich, the Longhorns ranked eighth in the FBS in scoring offense (42.7 ppg) and 19th in total offense (475.4 ypg).
State College, Yurcich's final destination before striking a deal in Youngstown, was clouded with inconsistent results. 2023 was especially a disappointment for Yurcich, as Penn State's offense combined for just 27 points against rivals Ohio State and Michigan.
Nonetheless, Yurcich's run at the top of the FBS was impressive. In his career as an FBS offensive coordinator, Yurcich's offenses averaged 6.34 yards per play and 13.63 yards per completion, both ranking first among OC's since 2013.
His decision to join YSU's coaching staff could potentially boost his resume and revive his overall career.
The Yurcich Effect
When a household name at the P4 level joins your program, there are going to be numerous benefits that come along with it. Offensive recruiting will in all likelihood skyrocket as a result of this hire and many highly sought after prospects could express interest in coming to play for Mike Yurcich.
Although it's way too early to know the intentions of some of these prospects, YSU has offered three talented athletes for the 2026 class. QB Brayden DeVito (Shelby HS), QB Arvell Nelson (Glenville HS), and RB Grady Kinsey (Indian Valley HS) have tremendous amounts of potential and the opportunity to come to Youngstown.
The spring transfer portal window is also something to monitor as Mike Yurcich's recruiting prowess could influence FBS roster cuts to drop down to the FCS level and go to YSU.
The development of starting quarterback Beau Brungard should be an intriguing storyline as coach Yurcich is known for transforming players and bringing out the best in them.
The work Yurcich did with quarterbacks at the FBS level is remarkable and it will be fascinating to see what methods he uses to evolve Brungard's passing attack in 2025.
