Akron hires Penn Hills native Joe Moorhead as head football coach

AKRON — Akron hired Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead as head coach on Saturday, bringing back a former assistant for the Zips to take over a struggling program.

Moorhead, a Penn Hills native, has been a head coach at Mississippi State (14-12 in two seasons) and FCS Fordham (38-13 in four seasons) and has been directing the Ducks’ offense the last two seasons.

No. 10 Oregon’s promising season came to a disappointing end Friday night when the Ducks (10-3) were routed for the second time in three weeks by Utah. Moorhead’s move also comes amid speculation that Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal is being pursued by his alma mater, Miami.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next head football coach at the University of Akron,” Moorhead said in release. “… My family and I are very excited for this opportunity. We can’t wait to get back to a region of the country we consider home. Our plan for the future is simple: we’ll roll up our sleeves and get to work, diligently building a program of which the school, the City of Akron, and the State of Ohio can be proud.”

Moorhead spent two seasons as Penn State’s offensive coordinator in between his head coaching jobs at his alma mater, Fordham, and Mississippi State.

Akron is 3-29 over the last three seasons.

“We are committed to fielding a championship-caliber football program at The University of Akron and I’m confident we have found the right leader at the right time to make good on that promise,” university president Gary L. Miller said in a release.

New athletic director Charles Guthrie fired coach Tom Arth nine games into this season and news of the school’s interest in Moorhead leaked more than a week ago.

Moorhead, a Central Catholic graduate, was an assistant at Akron from 2004-08. He is also a former Pitt graduate assistant.

Before Arth, Akron had a solid run in the Mid-American Conference under Terry Bowden, making three bowl games over seven seasons.