Michael Hazel
P.J. Mullen
➤ JEMAL GRIFFIN Chief of Staff Jemal Griffin is in his third year as Chief of Staff of the Penn State football program. Griffin’s primary responsibilities include the day-today management of the football program and its administrative staff, oversight of the football budget and handling all football contracts. In addition, he serves as the team’s liaison to the athletic and university administration. Griffin served in a similar capacity with James Franklin at Vanderbilt for three years. He also worked with Franklin at Maryland, serving as the Director of Football Operations from 2008-10 where he was responsible for the daily management of the Maryland football program, including team travel, budget management, team housing, fundraising and special events. He served as Maryland’s assistant recruiting coordinator in 2006-07. During that time, the Terps landed nine prep All-Americans and 31 others ranked among the nation’s top 100 at their positions. Prior to joining the Terps, Griffin spent six years on the staff at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore. He started as a defensive backs coach in 2000 and was promoted in 2001 to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator. Griffin coached two prep All-Americans, as well as numerous all-state players at Woodlawn. The school won two Baltimore County titles and two Maryland 4A North Region titles during his tenure. A native of Baltimore, Griffin earned his degree in management from Coppin State University, where he was a four-year starter on the baseball team and was named to the MEAC All-Tournament team as a senior.
➤ KEVIN THRELKEL Director of Football Administration Kevin Threlkel is in his third year as Penn State’s Director of Football Administration. In his capacity, Threlkel handles daily internal operations, team travel logistics, preseason camp and serves as the team’s liaison to the Nittany Lion Club, Penn State Alumni Association and the Penn State Football Letterman’s Club. Threlkel served as the Assistant Director of Football Operations under James Franklin at Vanderbilt for three years from 2011-13. Prior to Vanderbilt, Threlkel was at the University of Maryland for two seasons, serving as the football operations intern in 2009 and program management specialist in 2010. The ties between Threlkel and Franklin date to Kansas State in 2006 and 2007, when the Wildcat undergraduate worked as the team’s offensive and recruiting assistant. During 2008 and the spring of 2009, Threlkel served as a development assistant with the Ahearn Fund, Kansas State’s athletic development organization. A native of Hays, Kan., Threlkel earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Kansas State University in December 2007 and obtained a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State University in May 2009.
➤ MICHAEL HAZEL Director of Football Operations Michael Hazel is in his third year as the Nittany Lions’ Director of Football Operations. His primary responsibilities include overseeing football’s external operations, facilities and handling of Coach Franklin’s public appearances. Additionally, he serves as the program’s liaison to marketing, strategic communications and high school coaches. He was a finalist for the Football Scoop Director of Operations of the Year in 2015. Hazel also was a member of James Franklin’s staff at Vanderbilt University, serving as Director of Football Operations for three years. Hazel was a member of the Vanderbilt football staff from 2004-14, serving four seasons as Director of Football Operations, six as Assistant Director of Football Operations and one as a defensive graduate assistant. At Vanderbilt, Hazel was a part of more than half of the institution’s bowl games, including the
Andy Frank
Tim Bream
school’s first bowl game in 26 years in 2008 and unprecedented backto-back bowl victories the last two seasons. Before joining Vanderbilt, Hazel spent three seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at his alma mater, Elon University. Hazel was a four-year letterman at Elon, playing linebacker and contributing on special teams. He helped Elon to a 28-16 record as the program transitioned to Division I-AA and was an eight-time member of the Elon Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. Hazel, a native of Easley, S.C., and a graduate of Wren High School, holds two master’s degrees. He earned an M.Ed. in organizational leadership from Vanderbilt in 2007 and an MBA from Elon University in 2004. Hazel received his bachelor’s degree in corporate communications from Elon in 2001.
➤ P.J. MULLEN Director of Player Development & Community Relations P.J. Mullen is in his second year as the Director of Player Development and Community Relations. He brings nearly 10 years of institutional and community knowledge to the football program. Mullen’s primary responsibilities include assisting in all aspects of on-campus recruiting, planning all appearances and speaking requests for the players, coordinating the team’s extensive community outreach initiatives, creating professional development programs for the players, game-day atmosphere responsibilities at Beaver Stadium and overseeing the freshmen, transfers and commits in their transition/application process to Penn State. Mullen also is an adjunct professor in Penn State’s College of Communications where he teaches broadcast journalism courses. Mullen joined the staff after serving as program director and morning show host at WBHV-FM (B94.5) in State College, Pa., from 2009-14. The ties between Mullen and Penn State Athletics date to 2010 when he began freelance production and emcee work for women’s basketball, field hockey and softball. Mullen has worked on production teams at various Penn State venues including Pegula Ice Arena since 2013 and with the marketing and game day production teams at Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and Rec Hall since 2011. He also has been the on-field emcee for the State College Spikes, a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, since 2010. Mullen received his bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Penn State in 2007.
➤ ANDY FRANK Director of Player Personnel Andy Frank is in his third year as the Director of Player Personnel for the football program. He oversees all aspects of the recruiting operation. Frank was a member of James Franklin’s Vanderbilt staff, serving as the Player Personnel Coordinator for three years. In that role, Frank oversaw the two highest ranked recruiting classes in Vanderbilt history (2012 ranked No. 29; 2013 ranked No. 19 nationally by Rivals.com). He was a member of the staff from 2005-13, serving in several capacities, including defensive graduate assistant (200507), defensive quality control (2008), Assistant Recruiting Coordinator (2009), Assistant Director of Football Operations (2010) and Player Personnel Coordinator (2011-13). Before arriving at Vanderbilt, Frank worked four years for an engineering firm while also serving as a defensive assistant coach at Lincoln High School in Warren, Mich. A native of Sterling Heights, Mich., he played defensive back and special teams at Princeton University. He earned a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Princeton in 2001 and a master’s in education from Vanderbilt in 2007.
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Jevin Stone
➤ TIM BREAM Assistant Athletics Director, Sports Medicine Support Services Head Athletic Trainer for Football Tim Bream is in his fifth year at Penn State and was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Medicine Support Services in March 2015. He is responsible for overseeing sports medicine support and athletic training services for all 31 Penn State varsity sports, including football, and the university’s approximately 800 student-athletes. Bream returned to his alma mater after 19 years with the National Football League’s Chicago Bears. He had served as the head athletic trainer with Chicago since 1997 after spending the four previous years with the Bears as an assistant athletic trainer. Prior to working in the NFL, Bream held athletic trainer positions at several schools, including Richmond, where he was the director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer (1998-92), Vanderbilt (198688), Syracuse (1984-86) and West Virginia (1983-84). In addition, Bream has worked with the United States Olympic Committee medical staffs, including the 1991 World University Games in England and the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Bream graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, with an emphasis in athletic training. A native of Gettysburg, Pa., he earned his master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in sports science from West Virginia. He has served as an instructor and lecturer in collegiate and professional settings, co-authored articles for national publications and been a presenter at numerous national athletic training seminars and symposia.
➤ JEVIN STONE Video Director Jevin Stone is in his fifth year as Video Director for the football program after serving as a video assistant since 2009. Stone oversees all functions of the department, including filming and editing games and practices, budgeting and managing the student staff. Stone earned two football letters as an offensive lineman at Indiana State and graduated in 2004. Following his playing career, Stone worked on the video staff for the football team. He was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ video staff (2004-06), including the Super Bowl XLI Championship team. He also was the head video director for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe in 2006, followed by a one-year stint with the Frankfurt Galaxy. Stone was a video assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 200708 and rejoined the Colts’ video staff in 2008-09. He returned to the college ranks in 2009 as a video assistant at Penn State. Stone was selected as the 2015 Big Ten Football Video Director of the Year. Stone oversees all video software and equipment in the Lasch football building. He supervises all of the video and computer needs for the Penn State football program as well as the filming and editing of all practices and games with the state-of-the-art XOS Thunder System. This technology allows the coaches and players to view any play or sequence at the click of a button from any computer, tablet or smart phone. Video is merged with key data, such as down and distance, to provide coaches and players with a complete analysis of every play. He also is responsible for the opponents game exchange via the internet. Stone is a member of the Collegiate Sports Video Association. This Association provides information to connect and network with other video coordinators around the country and also learn new technology that a variety of vendors have to offer.