COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Taylor Mouser joins the Nittany Lions as their offensive coordinator, previously spending the last 10 seasons on the Iowa State coaching staff under Matt Campbell.
- Mouser most recently served the last two years as offensive coordinator and also oversaw the tight end room for the last five seasons.
- He was named the 2025 Football Scoop Tight Ends Coach of the Year.
- Mouser has coached a number of All-Americans and All-Big 12 performers to unprecedented success working with the offense, including back Breece Hall, who led the nation in rushing in 2020, became the first unanimous All-American in school history, tight end Charlie Kolar, ISU’s only three-time All-American, and quarterback Brock Purdy, who graduated owning/sharing 32 school records.
- In recent years, Iowa State produced four of the most prolific offenses in Cyclone football history. Iowa State broke the school record for total offense (444.3) and had the third-best scoring offense (32.2) in school history in 2019, and followed it up with the second-best scoring offense (32.9) and third-best total offense (436.3) totals in Cyclone history in 2020.
- The Cyclones also set the following school records with Mouser aiding the offense: touchdowns (53; 2019), points (418; 2019), yards per play (6.45; 2019) and rushing touchdowns (31; 2020).
- The Cyclones closed the 2025 season rushing for at least 150 yards in seven-straight games, the longest streak since doing so for eight-straight games from 2008-09.
- Carson Hansen (950) and Abu Sama III (732) became the first Cyclone pair to each have over 700 yards rushing in a season since Jim Wingender (1,070) and Mike Williams (781) in 1975.
- In his first season running the offense in 2024, ISU put together a record-setting season, finishing 11-3 and reaching double-digit victories for the first time in program history, and reaching the Big 12 Championship game after going 7-2 in conference action.
- Mouser leaned on two of the best wide receivers in the nation as quarterback Rocco Becht connected with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for a combined 167 receptions, 2,377 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. Higgins was named a third-team All-American and Noel was one of seven offensive players to be recognized by the Big 12 Conference coaches. Tight end Stevo Klotz was an All-Big 12 second-team selection.
- Iowa State capped the season with a thrilling 42-41 win against No. 15 Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Cyclones were ranked No. 15 in the final AP Top 25, the second-highest ranking to end a season in school history.
- Under his guidance, the offense averaged 31.1 points per game, the fifth-most in school history.
- The Cyclones used a balanced attack, throwing for 25 touchdowns and rushing for 27 TDs, both the fourth-best totals the program has ever produced.
- ISU’s offense led the nation in big plays in 2023, scoring 11 touchdowns of 50-plus yards.
- The Cyclones again were among the Top 10 nationally in the red zone with a 93.5% clip, converting on 31-of-33 trips and ranking first in the Big 12 and seventh nationally. ISU went on to earn a trip to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
- His tight end group combined for seven touchdown receptions by four different players. ISU was one of seven teams nationally with at least four tight ends with a TD reception.
- Benjamin Brahmer was a Freshman All-American (247Sports and The Athletic) under his tutelage in 2023, breaking the ISU freshman tight end record with 28 receptions and two touchdowns. Stevo Klotz earned the first of two career All-Big 12 second-team honors from the league's coaches at the fullback position.
- In 2021, the Cyclones recorded the fourth-best scoring average (31.3) and the fifth-best total offense (424.5), respectively, in program history. ISU also ranked second nationally in red zone offense, converting on 47-of-49 trips for a 95.9% clip to help the Cyclones earn their school-record fifth-straight bowl appearance.
- In his first season as tight ends coach in 2021, Mouser tutored a pair of All-Big 12 performers in Kolar and Chase Allen.
- Kolar broke ISU tight end single-season records in receptions (62) and receiving yards (756) while earning All-America honors for an unprecedented third-straight season in 2021.
- The 2021 winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy and a three-time Academic All-American, Kolar’s career totals in receptions (168), receiving yards (2,181) and touchdown catches (23) are the most by a Cyclone tight end and rank in the Top 5 on ISU’s overall career record lists. He also was a three-time Academic All-American.
- Kolar was a fourth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, while Allen signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
- Starting out as a graduate assistant, Mouser worked in the scouting department and then moved into a role as senior quality control for the Cyclone offense in 2019.
PLAYING CAREER
- Adams was a defensive lineman at Adams State (2009-13).
PERSONAL
- A native of Chandler, Arizona, Mouser graduated from Adams State in 2013, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in exercise science and sports administration.
- Mouser and his wife, Laura, have two children, Charlie and Riley.
THE MOUSER FILE
Personal
Year at Penn State: 1st
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona
Education: Adams State, 2013 - B.S. Exercise Science and Sports Administration
Family: Wife: Laura; Daughter: Charlie; Son: Riley
Coaching Career
2026-: Penn State [Offensive Coordinator]
2024-25: Iowa State [Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends]
2023: Iowa State [Tight Ends/Assistant Head Coach]
2021-22: Iowa State [Tight Ends]
2019-20: Iowa State [Senior Quality Control/Offense]
2017-18: Iowa State [Assistant Director of Scouting]
2016: Iowa State [Graduate Assistant]
2015: Toledo [Graduate Assistant]
Playing Experience
2009-13: Adams State
Postseason as a Coach
2024: Pop-Tarts Bowl [Iowa State]
2023: AutoZone Liberty Bowl [Iowa State]
2021: Cheez-It Bowl [Iowa State]
2020: PlayStation Fiesta Bowl [Iowa State]
2019: Camping World Bowl [Iowa State]
2018: Valero Alamo Bowl [Iowa State]
2017: AutoZone Liberty Bowl [Iowa State]
2015: Boca Raton Bowl [Toledo]
Prominent Players Coached
Landen Akers [Iowa State]: NFL [2021]
Chase Allen [Iowa State]: NFL [2022]
Hakeem Butler [Iowa State]: NFL [2019-24]; 2019 fourth-round pick
Julian Good-Jones [Iowa State]: Washington Commanders
Breece Hall [Iowa State]: New York Jets; 2022 second-round pick
Jayden Higgins [Iowa State]: Houston Texans; 2025 second-round pick
Xavier Hutchinson [Iowa State]: Houston Texans; 2023 sixth-round pick
Charlie Kolar [Iowa State]: Baltimore Ravens; 2022 fourth-round pick
Allen Lazard [Iowa State]: New York Jets
David Montgomery [Iowa State]: Detroit Lions; 2019 third-round pick
Jaylin Noel [Iowa State]: Houston Texans; 2025 third-round pick
Kene Nwangwu [Iowa State]: New York Jets; 2021 fourth-round pick
Brock Purdy [Iowa State]: San Francisco 49ers; 2022 seventh-round pick; Played in Super Bowl LVII
Jalen Travis [Iowa State]: Indianapolis Colts; 2025 fourth-round pick