Nov 29, 2015 2 min read

STATE COLLEGE – Penn State has fired offensive coordinator John Donovan and will begin a national search to find his replacement, the athletic department announced Sunday.

The move comes after Penn State suffered its worst loss of coach James Franklin’s tenure, routed 55-16 by No. 5 Michigan State Saturday.

“I have tremendous respect for John and the work he has put in over the last five years,” Franklin said in a statement. “I wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”

A five-year veteran of Franklin’s staffs at Penn State and Vanderbilt, Donovan was heavily criticized for leading a wildly inconsistent attack. He also coached tight ends.

“We’re evaluating every single day,” Franklin said after the loss to Michigan State. “The evaluation will happen between now and the bowl and after the bowl when the season is over.

“The season is not over, but we will have some conversations with a number of guys and come up with a plan that makes sense for them and makes sense for Penn State and we look forward to doing that here in the next couple of weeks.”

Penn State ranks 108th in total offense and 101st in scoring offense nationally this year. That’s little progress, considering the Nittany Lions were 114th in total offense and 113th in scoring offense last season.

Senior linebacker Ben Kline comment on Donovan’s dismissal, via Twitter.

“Utmost respect for John Donovan,” he wrote. “Class act.”

Pass protection has been a problem, with quarterback Christian Hackenberg getting sacked 82 times.

The offensive staff also struggled to get plays down from the booth in adequate time.