Joe Lorig

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Joe Lorig enters his third season at Penn State as the special teams coordinator.
• He added nickels to his title in 2021 and outside linebackers in 2020 after spending the 2019 campaign as a defensive assistant in addition to his role as special teams coordinator.
• Lorig has 24 years of collegiate coaching experience, including eight seasons as a special teams coordinator and eight years as a defensive coordinator. 
• With a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown by Lamont Wade vs. Illinois and an 81-yard punt return for a score by Jahan Dotson vs. Michigan State, PSU was one of four Power Five schools in 2020 to have a kick and punt return for a TD.
• Dotson finished the year averaging 24.6 yards per punt return, a school record, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a return specialist. In addition, Dotson was just one of three players nationally to have two punt returns of 50-plus yards.
• In 2019, the Nittany Lions’ special teams unit was ranked first among Power Five schools in special teams efficiency and tied for second nationally overall according to ESPN.com.
• Three of Lorig’s specialists in 2019, including punter Blake Gillikin, kick returner KJ Hamler, and kicker Jake Pinegar, all earned All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels.
• Penn State’s special teams unit allowed 1.7 yards per punt return (5th nationally) and 17.0 yards per kick return (8th) in 2019.
• In his three seasons at Memphis as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach, Lorig’s special teams unit finished in the top five in FBS in kick return average twice and in the top 20 in kick return defense every year.
• In addition, the Tigers did not allow a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown in three years under Lorig.
• As the outside linebackers coach, Lorig’s group helped the Tigers force 81 turnovers in a three-year span, which was fourth nationally in the FBS.
• Under Lorig’s tutelage, Memphis’ Tony Pollard became one of the nation’s top kick returners with a school-record and FBS-record-tying seven kickoffs returned for a touchdown in his career, including four returns for scores in 2017.
• Pollard was selected as the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Special Teams Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and was a first-team All-American in 2017.
• In Lorig’s first season in Memphis, the Tigers had three kickoff returns for touchdowns, snapping a 21-year drought for a kickoff return touchdowns, which was believed to be the longest such streak in FBS history.
• Memphis led the AAC and finished in the top 10 nationally in kickoff return defense (2nd in FBS, 16.04), kickoff return average (5th, 26.57) and net punting (8th, 41.10) in 2016.
• Kicker Jake Elliott was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award with 21 field goals and a perfect 58-for-58 effort on extra point attempts.
• Lorig led the Tiger special teams squad to another stellar season in 2017. Memphis finished fourth in the country and led the American in kickoff return average (26.02), while coming in No. 14 in FBS and No. 2 in the AAC in kickoff return defense (17.75).
• Memphis also finished No. 24 in the nation in punt return defense (4.60) and No. 2 in the American in net punting (39.48).
• In 2018, Memphis finished No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the AAC in kickoff return defense, allowing just 17.88 yards per return.
• Lorig spent two seasons at Utah State as the linebackers coach in 2014 and the safeties coach in 2015. During his time at USU, the Aggies made a pair of bowl appearances.
• Lorig mentored Zach Vigil, who was selected as the 2014 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a second-team USA Today All-American after posting 156 tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss.
• Lorig was the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Arizona State for two seasons, prior to moving to Utah State.
• During his time at ASU, punter Josh Hubner earned All-America honors in 2012 and kicker Zane Gonzalez was a Freshman All-American in 2013.
• Lorig also spent four seasons as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Central Washington (2008-11), where he helped the Wildcats win three Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles and two NCAA appearances.
• He was named the Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) following the 2010 season and was a finalist for FootballScoop.com’s Division II Coordinator of the Year in 2009.
• Among the other stops in Lorig’s coaching career were one season as the linebackers coach at UTEP (2007), eight seasons at Idaho State (2003-06, defensive coordinator; 2001-02, linebackers; 1999-2000 cornerbacks) and two seasons as the secondary coach at Western Oregon (1997-98).
• Lorig and Franklin spent the 1999 season together at Idaho State under head coach and current Penn State football analyst and analytics coordinator Larry Lewis.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A PLAYER

• As a student-athlete, Lorig was a two-time All-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges selection at Walla Walla Community College.
• He then transferred to Western Oregon to complete his playing career.
• He served as a team captain his final season.

PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED

• Dan Chisena (Penn State) - Minnesota Vikings 
• KJ Hamler (Penn State)  - Denver Broncos; 2020 NFL Draft second-round pick
• Blake Gillikin (Penn State) - New Orleans Saints
• Tony Pollard (Memphis) - Dallas Cowboys; 2019 NFL Draft fourth-round pick; Two-time AAC Special Teams Player of the Year
• Darrell Henderson (Memphis) - Los Angeles Rams; 2019 NFL Draft third-round pick
• Jake Elliott (Memphis) - Philadelphia Eagles; 2017 NFL Draft fifth-round pick; Super Bowl LII Champion
• Nick Vigil (Utah State) - Los Angeles Chargers; 2016 NFL Draft third-round pick
• Zach Vigil (Utah State) - NFL (2015-18); 2014 Mountain West Defensive Player of Year
• Josh Hubner (Arizona State) - Set single-season record for punting average in a season at ASU
• Matt Haack (Arizona State) - Miami Dolphins
• Zane Gonzalez (Arizona State) - Arizona Cardinals; 2017 NFL Draft seventh-round pick; 2016 Lou Groza Award Winner

THE LORIG FILE

Personal

Year at Penn State: Third
Hometown: Edmonds, Wash. 
Education: Western Oregon University, 1995 - B.S. Law Enforcement; Western Oregon University, 1997 - M.A. Correctional Administration
Family: Wife: Becky; Son: Tyler; Daughters: Jordan, Emma

Coaching Career

2021 – Penn State (Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers/Nickels)
2020 – Penn State (Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
2019 – Penn State (Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Assistant)
Jan.-Feb. 2019 – Texas Tech (Special Teams Coordinator)
2016-18 – Memphis (Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
2015 – Utah State (Safeties)
2014 – Utah State (Linebackers)
2012-13 – Arizona State (Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
2008-11 – Central Washington (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator)
2007 – UTEP (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers)
2003-06 – Idaho State (Defensive Coordinator)
2001-02 – Idaho State (Linebackers)
1999-2000 – Idaho State (Cornerbacks)
1997-98 – Western Oregon (Secondary)

Bowl/Playoff Games as a Coach

• 2019 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Penn State 
• 2018 Birmingham Bowl – Memphis
• 2017 Liberty Bowl – Memphis
• 2016 Boca Raton Bowl – Memphis
• 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Utah State
• 2014 New Mexico Bowl – Utah State
• 2013 Holiday Bowl – Arizona State
• 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl – Arizona State
• 2008 NCAA Division II Playoffs First Round – Central Washington
• 2009 NCAA Division II Playoffs Second Round, Super Regional Finals
• 1997 NAIA National Playoffs First Round – Western Oregon