Penn State football names new TE coach; Terry Smith gets new title

Penn State has named Ty Howle its new tight ends coach, the program announced Friday morning.

Howle, who served as an offensive analyst for the Nittany Lions last season and was a four-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman with the program from 2009-13, will take over the position for recently departed tight ends coach Tyler Bowen. Bowen will join head coach Urban Meyer’s staff as tight ends coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars after having the same position with Penn State for three seasons.

“I am excited and honored to be the tight ends coach at my alma mater,” Howle said in a statement. “I want to thank Coach Franklin for giving me this opportunity to develop the tremendous young men in this program. Penn State University means the world to my family and me. The pride I have for the university, this team, my lettermen brothers and the greatest fans in the world is unrivaled. I’m thankful for everyone who helped me get to this point and I’m excited to be home at Penn State.”

During his Penn State playing career, Howle appeared in 47 games and made 13 starts. He started at center and left guard, and he was also a team captain as a senior in 2013. Howle capped off the 2013 season by winning the Maginnis Memorial Award, given to the Nittany Lions’ most outstanding senior offensive lineman.

Before he returned to Penn State last season, Howle spent two years as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State and four seasons as an offensive line coach at Western Illinois.

“We are excited to have Ty represent his alma mater and serve as our tight ends coach,” coach James Franklin said in a statement. “I have known Ty since I first started at Penn State when he worked with our recruiting department. Since then, I followed his career and watched him grow into an impressive coach and tremendous leader of young men. As the son of a high school football coach, Ty’s passion for teaching the game is unmatched. In addition, he wears his pride for this university on his chest every day.”

Penn State also announced that cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith, a Gateway grad and former Gators coach, will now also be an associate head coach, while wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield adds the title of offensive recruiting coordinator — another role that Bowen previously held.