Cecchini Names Bucknell Football's Offensive and Defensive Coordinators

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell head football coach Dave Cecchini announced the hiring of Jason Miran as offensive coordinator and Ryan Manalac as defensive coordinator on Friday.

Miran follows Cecchini from Valparaiso University, where he served in the same position for Cecchini's five seasons at the helm. Manalac most recently was Ohio Dominican University's defensive coordinator following stints at Valparaiso under Cecchini and at Michigan State University under two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Mark Dantonio.

"I have been coaching alongside Jason Miran for the past nine years," Cecchini said. "He is a gifted, intelligent coach who has grown into one the best offensive coordinators in the country at the Division I level. Ryan Manalac is the perfect fit for the defensive coordinator position at Bucknell. He has learned the game from some of the best defensive minds in football, and I am excited to have him on board."

Miran played a key role in Valparaiso's turnaround, guiding the offense to historic numbers. In 2017, Valparaiso totaled 330 points and 4,398 yards, both good for second in school history, en route to its first winning season since 2003. The following campaign, Valparaiso scored 290 points, tied for the fifth-highest total in the program's annals. Entering 2018, Valparaiso had not scored at least 290 points in back-to-back seasons since 1950 and 1951.

Miran mentored two wide receivers that rewrote Valparaiso's record book in Tanner Kuramata and Griffin Norberg. Kuramata, who Miran coached in 2014, graduated with 2,315 career receiving yards, good for fifth in Valparaiso's history. His one season under Miran was his most productive, as he caught the fifth-most passes (67) in program history. Norberg, who spent his entire career under Miran's tutelage, left Valparaiso with 1,725 receiving yards, good for seventh in school history. As a senior, Norberg caught nine touchdown passes, the most by a Valparaiso player since 2003 and the fifth most all time.

Before his time at Valparaiso, Miran spent four seasons as the wide receivers coach at Lehigh. Over that stretch, Lehigh went a combined 39-9 and won two Patriot League titles. In 2011, Miran's charges helped Cecchini's explosive offense finish in the FCS's top five in total offense (469.6) and passing offense (340.6) while averaging a Patriot League-best 32.5 points per game.

During his time in Bethlehem, Miran coached Ryan Spadola, who went on to play in the National Football League. A First Team All-American and three-time All-Patriot League First Team selection, Spadola graduated ranked second among Mountain Hawks in career receptions and receiving yards. Another standout under Miran's tutelage was Lee Kurfis, who led the nation in receiving yards per game (122.8) during the 2013 campaign.

A native of Pottstown, Pa., Miran graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a degree in communications. He played on the Quaker football team, starting at fullback as a senior. Miran's first position out of college was at Franklin & Marshall, where he spent a year as a tight ends/assistant offensive line coach.

Manalac spent the past two seasons running Ohio Dominican's defense. Over that stretch, the Panthers went a combined 16-5, winning the 2017 Great Midwest Athletic Conference title with an unbeaten 7-0 mark in conference action. That season, Ohio Dominican ceded just 13.6 points per game to conference opponents, which led to six defensive players garnering All-G-MAC First Team laurels.

One of Manalac's charges was Ross Thompson, the 2018 G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year and a Harlon Hill Trophy and Cliff Harris Award candidate. In 2018, the linebacker set a school record with 110 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss. Thompson also matched the school record in career tackles (294) while totaling the fourth-most career tackles for a loss (28) in the Panther annals.

In 2016, Manalac served as a linebackers/special teams coach on Cecchini's staff at Valparaiso. That season, he helped Valparaiso's scoring defense improve by 10 points per game from 2015. He also molded first-year starting linebacker Drew Snouffer into an All-Pioneer Football League performer; Snouffer racked up 102 tackles, an average of 9.3 per game that was good for fourth in the conference.

Manalac spent five seasons on Dantonio's staff at Michigan State, where he helped in all three phases of the game as well as in recruiting. During his time in East Lansing, Manalac helped the Spartans earn a berth in the College Football Playoff, win four bowl games, capture two Big Ten Conference titles and achieve four top-10 finishes in the national poll.

In 2014, Michigan State finished with a No. 5 national ranking and an 11-2 record. In the A&T Cotton Bowl, the Spartan defense shut out high-scoring Baylor in the fourth quarter, contributing to a 21-0 run that sealed a 42-41 come-from-behind victory. That season, Michigan State boasted the nation's best rushing defense, yielding a meager 88.5 yards per game. The Spartans also finished third in turnovers gained (34) and eighth in total defense (315.8).

The Spartans wrapped up the 2012 campaign slotted fourth in the FBS in total defense (274.4) and eighth in rushing defense (98.6). The year before, they led the Big Ten in rushing defense (100.5) and total defense (277.4) en route to capturing the Big Ten Legends Division crown.

After walking onto the football team at the University of Cincinnati, Manalac earned a scholarship and four letters. A linebacker, he totaled 195 tackles, including a team-best 82 as a senior in 2008. That season, the Bearcats won a Big East Conference title and played in the Orange Bowl. For his academic and athletic excellence, Manalac earned Cincinnati's C-Club Strothman Award.

Following his time at Cincinnati, Manalac signed with the NFL's Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. He was promoted to the organization's 53-man roster from its practice squad in January 2010.

A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Manalac graduated from Cincinnati in 2008 with a degree in business administration. He later earned his master's degree in kinesiology from Michigan State in 2012.

Bucknell University Athletics

Cecchini Names Bucknell Football's Offensive and Defensive Coordinators

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