UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Football has announced the addition of Savon Huggins to its on-field coaching staff for the 2026 season. Smith will serve as the running backs coach.
With the addition of Smith, Penn State’s primary on-field coaching staff consists of the following to date:
- Matt Campbell – Head Coach
- Terry Smith – Associate Head Coach/Cornerbacks
- D’Anton Lynn – Defensive Coordinator
- Justin Lustig – Special Teams Coordinator
- Taylor Mouser – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
- Deon Broomfield – Safeties/Pass Game Coordinator
- Ryan Clanton – Offensive Line
- Savon Huggins – Running Backs
- Ikaika Malloe – Defensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
- Noah Pauley – Wide Receivers
- Christian Smith – Edge Rushers
- Tyson Veidt - Linebackers
- Jake Waters - Quarterbacks
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Huggins comes to Happy Valley following a four-year stint as running backs coach at Boston College.
- In 2025, sophomore Turbo Richard rushed for a career-best 749 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 30 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games.
- Senior Jordan McDonald appeared in all 12 games for Huggins and the Eagles, totaling 397 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, and two touchdowns as a pass catcher.
- Under Huggins’ guidance, the Eagles offense rushed for 2,163 yards with a 4.1 yards per carry average and 24 rushing touchdowns in 2024, amassing 166 yards per game.
- In 2024, Kye Robichaux, who went on to play for the Detroit Lions, led the team in rushing yards with 744 while notching 10 touchdowns on the ground, the most by a BC running back since all-time leading rusher A.J. Dillon in 2019.
- Huggins also tutored running back Treshaun Ward in 2024, who rushed for 406 yards and added 288 receiving yards. Ward went on to play with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
- Jordan McDonald added 53 carries for 361 yards and three touchdowns, while true freshman Turbo Richard ran for 278 yards on 55 carries with two touchdowns.
- Robichaux ran for 198 yards and 2 TDs in the win over Syracuse, while McDonald had 133 yards with a score for BC against the Orange.
- In 2023, Eagles running backs rushed for 2,584 yards with a 4.71 yards per carry average, contributing to the second-ranked rushing attack in the ACC at 198.8 yards per game.
- Robichaux ranked seventh in the league at 70.9 yards per game, totaling 780 yards, eight touchdowns and a 4.79 yards per carry average and was two-time ACC Running Back of the Week.
- Huggins arrived to Boston College in 2021 as an assistant running backs coach.
- He helped running back Pat Garwo earn a spot on the All-ACC second team after Garwo finished as the No. 4 rusher in the ACC with 1,045 yards, becoming the 19th BC player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
- Garwo had four 100-yard rushing performances and scored seven touchdowns on the ground in 2021.
- In 2022, Garwo put up career numbers as a receiver out of the backfield with 29 catches, ranking second on the team behind All-American Zay Flowers.
- Huggins got his start in coaching at Somerville (N.J.) High School, gained experience as an intern with the Miami Dolphins, and broke into the college ranks at Buffalo in 2020 as a wide receivers assistant.
- At Somerville, Huggins worked as an assistant on offense and defense as the team posted a cumulative 32-3 record between 2016-18 and won a state title in 2017.
- Following a fellowship with the Dolphins, he returned to his high school alma mater of St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) to win a state title as an offensive assistant.
PLAYING CAREER
- As a player, Huggins spent four seasons at Rutgers. He missed his senior year due to injury after compiling 842 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns and 20 receptions in his first three seasons.
- The Scarlet Knights played in a bowl game in all four years of his career. He was named to the Big Ten All-Academic Team in 2014.
- Huggins ran 59 times for 232 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown during the 2015 season at Northern Iowa.
PERSONAL
- Huggins earned his degree in economics in three-and-a-half years at Rutgers and his master’s degree from Northern Iowa in sports psychology.
- He and his wife Victoria have two sons, Zion and Zayden, and a daughter, Zoh.
THE HUGGINS FILE
Personal
Year at Penn State: 1st
Hometown: Jackson, N.J.
Education: Rutgers, 2015 – B.S. Economics; Northern Iowa, 2016 – M.S. Sports Psychology
Family: Wife: Victoria; Sons: Zion, Zayden; Daughter: Zoh
Coaching Career
2026: Penn State [Running Backs]
2022-25: Boston College [Running Backs]
2021: Boston College [Assistant Running Backs]
2020: Buffalo [Wide Receivers Assistant]
2019: St. Peter’s Prep [Offensive Assistant]
2019: Miami Dolphins [Fellowship]
2016-18: Somerville High School [Offensive and Defensive Assistant]
Playing Experience
2011-14: Rutgers [Running Back]
Postseason as a Coach
2024: Pinstripe Bowl [Boston College]
2023: Fenway Bowl [Boston College]
2021: Military Bowl [Boston College]
2020: Camellia Bowl [Buffalo]