Although the upcoming East-West Shrine Bowl presents a void of draft-eligible Nittany Lions on the gridiron, one former Penn Stater is set to return to a college sideline for the first time in over a decade.

The postseason bowl announced Baltimore Ravens defensive back coach D’Anton Lynn as the head coach of the East squad Thursday afternoon. Lynn, who just concluded his first season at the helm of the Ravens’ secondary, played a four-year career for the Nittany Lions from 2008 to 2011, largely under the direction of Joe Paterno.

We’re excited to announce that @Ravens coach D'Anton Lynn will be the Head Coach of the East squad!

Coach Lynn has been very successful in the past and knows what it takes to win. His passion & knowledge for the game will be an asset to our #ShrineBowl players. pic.twitter.com/rOQSKgWNBo

— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) January 20, 2022

As a three-year starter in the Nittany Lions’ secondary, Lynn compiled 162 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery. In his first stint manning the outside, the Texas native led Penn State toward producing the third-ranked total defense in 2009, en route to an 11-2 record and a Capital One Bowl win over LSU.

Following his stellar run in Happy Valley, Lynn entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2012. There, the lockdown cornerback reunited with his father and coaching veteran, Anthony Lynn, who served as the team’s running backs coach during his short stint on the roster.

After just one year in the league, Lynn spent a season with the Hamilton Tigercats in the Canadian Football League but decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by entering the coaching ranks soon following.

Since starting as a seasonal intern for the Jets nearly eight years ago, the former playmaker has held spots with the Bills, Chargers, Texans, and currently with the Ravens as the leader of the defensive backs.

The East-West Shrine Bowl will commence at 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 3, from Las Vegas. Gameday festivities from Allegiant Stadium will air on NFL Network.