- Ja’Juan Seider is in his sixth season as the running backs coach at Penn State and his 16th season as a collegiate coach.
- Seider took on assistant head coach duties beginning in 2023, on top of being co-offensive coordinator since the start of the 2022 season.
- He earned top 10 recruiter rankings from On3 in 2022 and 247Sports. in 2019.
- During the 2022 campaign, true freshmen Nicholas Singleton (1,061 yards) and Kaytron Allen (830 yards) became the first freshman duo in Big Ten history to both rush for 700+ rushing yards in a season.
- Since 2000, Singleton and Allen and West Virginia’s Steve Slaton and Pat White (2005) are the only true freshman duos over 800 rushing yards in a season.
- Singleton and Allen became the third PSU duo since 1960 to boast 800+ rushing yards each, joining duos from 2013 (Zach Zwinak, 989; Bill Belton, 803) and 2005 (Tony Hunt, 1,047; Michael Robinson, 806).
- Singleton joined Saquon Barkley (1,076; 2015) as the only PSU freshmen to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season.
- In addition to being named a Freshman All-American by the FWAA, Singleton was named the Big Ten Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year, AP Big Ten Newcomer of the Year and was selected third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.
- After Journey Brown was forced to retire from football prior to the 2020 season, Seider was charged with helping lead a youthful rushing attack, which ranked fifth in the Big Ten in rushing.
- In 2019, Brown posted 202 rushing yards in the Cotton Bowl, the most in a Penn State bowl game.
- Brown ended 2019 with 11 rushes of 20 or more yards, including seven of over 30 yards, three over 40 yards, and two over 50 yards.
- In 2018, Penn State posted its highest rushing average (204.9) since 2008 (205.8), led by second-team All-Big Ten selection Miles Sanders.
- Sanders had 1,274 yards, ranking 11th on the PSU single-season chart.
- Seider came to Happy Valley after serving as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Florida in 2017, where he guided a running backs room that finished with more than 1,500 rushing yards, including a pair of 500-yard rushers, with 13 touchdowns.
- As a unit, the Gator running backs averaged 4.0 yards per carry with freshmen Malik Davis (6.7 ypc) and Adarius Lemons (7.2 ypc) leading the way. Davis earned SEC All-Freshman honors for his efforts.
- Prior to Gainesville, Seider spent four seasons at West Virginia University as the running backs coach where he coached a pair of NFL backs.
- In 2015, Seider guided Wendell Smallwood as he led the Big 12 with 1,519 yards on the way to second-team All-Big 12 accolades.
- Seider was part of a staff which helped the Mountaineers finish ninth in FBS in passing, 12th in total offense and 34th in scoring in 2014.
- In his first season at WVU, Seider recruited Charles Sims to Morgantown for his final collegiate season. Sims garnered first-team All-Big 12 honors and was the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after rushing for 1,095 yards and 11 touchdowns, while catching 45 passes for 401 yards and three scores.
- During his tenure at Marshall, Seider helped the Thundering Herd win the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in 2011 and recruited quarterback Rakeem Cato, who was the 2012 Conference USA Player of the Year and two-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
- Seider also mentored two Conference USA Freshmen of the Year Kevin Grooms (2012) and Corey Tindal (2013).
- Seider worked with quarterbacks Jarrett Brown, Geno Smith and Pat White during his first stint in Morgantown. All three quarterbacks spent time in the NFL with White being a second-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft and Smith going in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
- Seider spent seven seasons as a high school football coach in Florida. He was the quarterbacks coach at Lake Worth High School (2006-07), offensive coordinator at Palm Beach Lakes High School (2003-05) and running backs coach at Glades Central High School (2001-02).
- Seider started his collegiate playing career at West Virginia University, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior season.
- He won the Doug Williams Award for National Offensive Player of the Year, Jake Gaither Award (considered the Heisman Trophy of Historically Black Colleges) and earned All-America honors after throwing for 2,622 yards and 27 touchdowns, and rushing for 740 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1999.
- Seider, who was the 1999 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
- Inducted into the Palm Beach County Hall of Fame in 2017.
- Miles Sanders (Penn State) - Philadelphia Eagles; 2019 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Wendell Smallwood (West Virginia) - Washington Redskins; 2016 NFL Draft fifth-round pick; Super Bowl LII Champion
- Charles Sims (West Virginia) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-17); 2014 NFL Draft third-round pick
- Rakeem Cato (Marshall) - CFL (2015-18); Two-time C-USA Offensive POY
- Jarrett Brown (West Virginia) - NFL (2010-12); CFL (2012-15)
- Geno Smith (West Virginia) - Seattle Seahawks; 2013 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Pat White (West Virginia) - Three-time All-Big East first team; 2009 NFL Draft second-round pick
- Dreamius Smith (West Virginia) - NFL (2015-17)
- Elijah Wellman (West Virginia) - Green Bay Packers
- Corey Tindal (Marshall) - CFL’S Ottawa Redblacks; C-USA Freshman of the Year
Personal
Year at Penn State: Sixth
Hometown: Belle Glade, Fla.
Education: West Virginia University, 2000 - B.S. Physical Education; West Virginia University, 2010 - M.A. Athletic Coaching
Family: Wife: Brandi; Son: Jaden; Daughters: Ava, Brenley
Coaching Career
2023-pres. - Penn State (Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)2022-23 - Penn State (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
2020-21 - Penn State (Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs)
2018-19 - Penn State (Running Backs)
2017 - Florida (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2013-16 - West Virginia (Running Backs)
2010-12 - Marshall (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2008-09 - West Virginia (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2006-07 - Lake Worth High School (Quarterbacks)
2003-05 - Palm Beach Lakes High School (Offensive Coordinator)
2001-02 - Glades Central High School (Running Backs)
Bowl Games as a Coach
- 2023 Rose Bowl - Penn State
- 2022 Outback Bowl - Penn State
- 2019 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Penn State
- 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl - Penn State
- 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl - West Virginia
- 2015 Cactus Bowl - West Virginia
- 2014 Liberty Bowl - West Virginia
- 2011 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl - Marshall
- 2010 Gator Bowl - West Virginia
- 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl - West Virginia