2026 will mark Joe Marella’s sixth season with The Rock. Marella, who joined the SRU football staff in the summer of 2021, will serve as SRU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for a third consecutive year.
CAREER AT A GLANCE
• Served as wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator before being promoted to offensive coordinator after the 2023 season.
• Marella has played an integral role in The Rock’s success - a 49-14 overall record with four playoff appearances - since joining head coach Shawn Lutz’s staff.
• In his inaugural season as The Rock’s offensive coordinator in 2024, SRU averaged 27.8 points per game – the third highest average in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – As SRU went 12-2 overall, won Super Region One and advanced to the national semifinals.
• On the national level, Marella’s offense ranked ninth in Division II in 2024 in first downs (289), 18th in completion percentage (.648), 18th in sacks allowed per game (0.93), 22nd in fourth down conversion percentage (.600), 24th in passing offense (247.9), 25th in third down conversion percentage (.443) and 27th in time of possession per game (31:51).
• SRU averaged 32.7 points per game in 2025 and put up 418.1 yards of total offense per game. The Rock ranked 17th nationally in rushing offense (217.8 ypg), 16th in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.00) and running back JayJay Jordan ranked in the top 10 nationally in nearly every rushing stat after rushing for 1,375 yards in just 10 games.
• The Rock’s offensive unit was responsible for six All-PSAC West honorees in 2024 including quarterback Brayden Long, who was a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, as well as two other All-Americans in tight end Kam Kruzelyak and offensive tackle Joe Cooper.
• SRU had the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 with running back JayJay Jordan and had two All-Americans in Jordan and consensus All-American left tackle Joe Cooper. Cooper was the only player in Division II to be invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
• Five Slippery Rock wide receivers earned All-PSAC West honors under Marella when he was receivers coach: Henry Litwin, Jermaine Wynn Jr., Cinque Sweeting, Cohen Russell and Kyle Sheets with Litwin (2021) and Sheets (2023) going on to be named consensus All-Americans.
• SRU was the only Division II team in the country to have two receivers over 1,100 yards in 2023 with Kyle Sheets and Cohen Russell both ranking in the top eight in Division II in receiving yards.
• As pass game coordinator in 2022, The Rock ranked 24th in the nation, and third in the PSAC, in passing offense at 259.3 yards per game in addition to being 15th in Division II in completion percentage (.630) and 26th in team passing efficiency.
COACHING TIMELINE
2018: UCF (strength and conditioning)
2019: Cincinnati (strength and conditioning)
2019: Benedictine (assistant coach)
2019-2020: Ohio Dominican (graduate assistant, tight ends/running backs/special teams)
2021: Slippery Rock (wide receivers)
2022: Slippery Rock (pass game coordinator/wide receivers)
2023: Slippery Rock (special coordinator/wide receivers)
2024-Present: Slippery Rock (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
CAREER PATH
• After working with UCF and the University of Cincinnati football programs in strength and conditioning roles to start career, Marella officially moved into coaching in 2019 at his alma mater, Benedictine University, before taking a position at Ohio Dominican.
• While at Ohio Dominican, Marella worked with the Panthers’ tight ends and running backs in addition to ODU’s special teams.
• Marella helped to lead Ohio Dominican to a 7-3 record in 2019. ODU running back EJ Colson, tight end Blake Skuratowicz and punter Logen Neidhardt each earned all-conference honors with Neidhardt being named the G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
ATHLETIC CAREER
• Competed collegiately at Benedictine University (2014-17).
• Played both quarterback and tight end at Benedictine.
• A team captain for the Eagles.
PERSONAL
• Native of Des Plaines, Illinois.
• Marella received a bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies and graduated magna cum laude from Benedictine in 2018.
• Went on to earn master’s degree in Sport Management from Ohio Dominican University in 2020.
