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Penn State hires 10th assistant coach to lead the running backs

David Corley, who most recently worked at Army as wide receivers coach, fills the added coaching position approved last spring by the NCAA.

Penn State football coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field prior to the start of the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis December 5, 2016. The Nittany Lions won the championship, beating Wisconsin.
Penn State football coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field prior to the start of the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis December 5, 2016. The Nittany Lions won the championship, beating Wisconsin.Read moreCLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer

Penn State head coach James Franklin filled the new 10th assistant coach position allowed by the NCAA by announcing the hiring Friday of David Corley as the Nittany Lions' new running back coach.

Corley comes to Happy Valley from Army, where he was wide receivers coach for the past two seasons.

"David is a dynamic football coach who will be a great fit in our program," Franklin said in a statement. "I have gotten to know David over the last several years and followed his career closely. He has continuously impressed me with his drive and passion for the game and recruiting."The NCAA Division I Council approved, and the Division I board of directors finalized, the hiring of a 10th assistant coach last April, making the position available as of Jan. 9.

After running backs coach and special teams coordinator Charles Huff left in November to join the staff of former Lions offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State, Franklin hired Phil Galiano to be special teams coordinator, and said he would bring in a running backs coach with the added position.

In his press conference on Dec. 20, after Penn State had signed 21 players to national letters of intent, Franklin said he told Ricky Slade, a five-star running back that signed with the Nittany Lions, to trust his hiring of the new running backs coach.

"I said, 'You have to trust that I am going to hire someone that's not only going to be a great fit for Penn State but also is going to be a great fit for you," he said.

Corley, who played his college football at William & Mary, said he and his family were "very excited about the opportunity to join the Penn State family. I have admired coach Franklin's work for a long time."

With Corley on the Army coaching staff, the Black Knights won back-to-back bowl games, and captured the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy this past season for the first time since 1996.

Corley also served as an assistant coach at Connecticut for three seasons, where his duties included running backs coach, special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Corley spent six seasons on the coaching staff at William & Mary as running backs coach, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach and passing games coordinator.

A native of Salisbury, N.C., Corley started for four years at quarterback for the Tribe where he set program records for passing yards (9,805), total offense (10,948) and touchdown passes (73). He led William & Mary to the 2001 Atlantic 10 championship and a berth in the NCAA Division I-AA championship.

Corley played in the Canadian Football League for Calgary and Hamilton, and also for the Arena Football League New York Dragons.