The Nittany Lions will enter the 2025 season without assistant offensive line coach Frank Leonard, a Penn State Athletics spokesperson confirmed. Leonard, a longtime James Franklin associate, has retired.

Leonard had been with the program since 2022 and worked closely with the offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. He enjoyed a 43-year coaching career with stints in the National Football League, multiple collegiate programs, and high school programs throughout the country.

A Wethersfield, Connecticut, native, Leonard spent many of his years in football working in the New England region. He spent time with Boston College, UConn, Central Connecticut State, and under Bill Belichick as a scout for the New England Patriots. Leonard also served as the tight ends coach for the St. Louis Rams on head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s staff.

Throughout his career, he made multiple connections with current Penn State coaches. Leonard spent time with James Franklin in 2007, when they were both on Ron Price’s coaching staff at Kansas State. The two kept in contact, and Leonard joined Franklin’s coaching staff at Penn State two decades later. Leonard even spent some time living in a room above Franklin’s garage.

Leonard also coached with Trautwein at Boston College while he served as the Eagles’ tight ends coach.

During his time with the Nittany Lions, Leonard contributed to the development of Olu Fashanu, who evolved into a premier prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle and earned a consensus All-American nod at Penn State. He also worked with many other Nittany Lions in the NFL, such as Caedan Wallace, Hunter Nourzad, and Juice Scruggs.

Leonard’s position will be filled by assistant offensive line coach Bill Queisert, per StateCollege.com’s Seth Engle. Queisert came to Penn State from Kansas in 2023 alongside Andy Kotelnicki. Graduate assistant Kevin Ceh will also assist Trautwein in coaching the offensive line.