Penn State is still in with a shot to win the Rugby East, but to do that the Nittany Lions will have to get by the always difficult Iona College.

For Penn State, being in the hunt for a conference title is a victory in itself. After the program was suspended briefly at due to misconduct by a couple of players, Penn State underwent a coaching change, and then the realization that Chris Amoratis could not be Director of Rugby and Head Coach at the same time. So another coaching change was in order, with Blake Burdette being hired to take over the men’s team, which he did mid-season.

For Burdette, who most recently coached Olympus HS in Utah, it was a new start after he coached at the University of Utah, another program that suffered a suspension of its own.  

“Everybody learned a lot of lessons,” Burdette told Goff Rugby Report. “The great thing is we all get a fresh start. In talking to the players I said we should celebrate our proud history, but we move forward from this point on. The players are excited, and the athletic department is excited.”

Burdette has only been on the job for a few weeks, and the season had already started when he came on board, but the transition has gone well.

“It was tough to step in mid-season but the guys were hungry,” said Burdete. “They wanted it. They were looking for some direction, and Chris Amoratis was doing everything and just didn’t have time. I am happy to come in and just coach, and each week the boys have gotten better.”

Still a work in progress, Penn State could well be in a position to be in the conversation regarding top college programs … in a year or two anyway.

“We don’t have a lot of depth, that will come through with recruiting,” said Burdette. “But the guys are starting to get it and they are a team that plays hard and plays with guts. We’ve had some injuries but we’ve continued to improve. We know it will be tough. Iona’s no joke. They are very tough. We will have to be our best to beat them.”

Leading the way for Penn State are flankers Sean Mahon and Malcolm May, with Jimmy Ronan at scrumhalf playing well in open play and providing crucial goalkicking ability. Captain and wing Mike Eife should, said Burdette, be an All American.

Iona has shown with their win over Army that they can stand up to bigger teams, and play an aggressive defense while forcing teams to play a long field.

And while this is an important game for both, both are also thinking long-term in the sense that good performances will improve recruiting, and keep the administration happy.

“When I coached and played at Utah, Penn State was the premier team on the East Coast,” said Burdette. “There’s not a lack of talent here. We’re in a great position.”