USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is the subject of rumors linking him to the Penn State defensive coordinator opening.
Penn State finally hired new head coach Matt Campbell after months of searching and rejection by multiple candidates, though they ended up with a coach most of the college football world expected them to hire in the first place.
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Now, Campbell is hard at work building out their coaching staff, which is mostly in place, though there is a significant hole at the defensive coordinator spot.
This past season, the Nittany Lions had Jim Knowles in the role during the James Franklin and interim head coach Terry Smith regime.
However, he has pivoted to take on the same role at Tennessee, and Campbell is tasked with finding a suitable replacement at the key spot.
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The name that has circulated the most is D’Anton Lynn, who is currently preparing the USC defense for the Alamo Bowl on Tuesday.
Lynn was asked during a media appearance in the lead-up to the game about Penn State’s reported interest, though he played it coy with reporters.
“I just focus on the players,” Lynn told reporters, per Ryan Kartje of the LA Times. “I just focus on what’s in front of me, their growth, their development and just trying to get their 10th win.”
Head coach Lincoln Riley is seemingly in a similar spot to fans and observers, having little idea of where Lynn will end up next season, with a decision seemingly coming shortly after the bowl game.
“No, I don’t have an update,” Riley said. “This is just what happens this time of year, especially when you have a really good staff, and are doing a lot of really positive things. This is part of what happens. So, we’ve seen it, we understand it. We’ll obviously see how it plays out.”
Lynn has deep ties to Penn State, playing as a defensive back from 2008 to 2011 at the end of the Joe Paterno era. He then moved into coaching in 2014 as an NFL staff member before returning to the college ranks in 2023 with UCLA as defensive coordinator, then jumping to the Trojans.
Riley is the man who calls the offense, deferring the defensive responsibilities to Lynn. If USC were to lose him, they would need to prioritize hiring a capable defensive mind to get them into the College Football Playoff for the first time.
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