Penn State Football Hires USC Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn For Same Role
Update, January 2:
Penn State Athletics confirmed the hiring of D’Anton Lynn as Penn State football’s next defensive coordinator.
Original story:
Penn State football is set to hire USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn for the same role, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Zentiz reported on December 17 that Penn State was narrowing its search to Lynn for the open play-calling job. Matt Campbell and Co. made the quick turnaround and got their next defensive leader after letting Jim Knowles walk over to Tennessee.
Lynn wrapped up his second season with the Trojans before making the move to Happy Valley. He significantly improved USC’s defense in several statistical categories in his first season in 2024. The Trojans improved their points per game mark from 34.4 to 24.1 under Lynn.
Lynn suited up for Penn State from 2008 to 2011, where he garnered three All-Big Ten honorable mentions. He ended his Happy Valley stint with 162 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, and four interceptions.
His NFL career was short-lived, signing with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The former player made the jump to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 2013 before working in the Jets’ scouting department. He got his first coaching gig as a season intern for the Jets the following year.
Lynn continued to bounce around the NFL with assistant roles with the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers, where his father, Anthony, was the head coach. He was the Houston Texans’ secondary coach and Baltimore Ravens’ safeties coach up until 2022, when he took the UCLA defensive coordinator job.
Lynn propelled the Bruins to first in the nation in rushing defense, second in yards per rush allowed, fourth in sacks, and fourth in tackles-for-loss in 2023. UCLA finished 10th in total defense, from 87th in 2022.
The Plano, Texas, native now returns to Happy Valley for his third Big Ten defensive coordinator stop.
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