Penn State has finally found its new Knight Chair of Sports Journalism and Society in John Affleck, the Sports Enterprise Editor of the Associated Press.

Affleck, who has experience as a reporter, editor and national manager at the AP, will replace Malcolm Moran, who left Penn State for the National Sports Journalism Center in Indianapolis back in January.

Affleck has built an impressive resume over his 22-year career. Recently, he worked closely with the AP’s coverage of the Lance Armstrong saga and the Jerry Sandusky case. He has also been a key figure in the AP’s coverage of college football, college basketball and the World Cup.

In a news release, Doug Anderson, the Dean of the College of Communications, said that Affleck is “a leader who has a great depth of knowledge about sports writing, who is adept at guiding journalists in a 24/7 multimedia newsroom, and who has a long history of reporting on topics that transcend the games and take on bigger issues.”

A native of Syracuse, NY, Affleck has worked for the AP in Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland and, most recently New York City. Affleck is a graduate of Notre Dame, with a postgrad degree from the University of Dundee in Scotland and a master’s degree from Northwestern (which ideally won’t be a problem come football season).

You can find Affleck on Twitter @affleckap. His account is private, but be sure to give him a follow and welcome him to Happy Valley.