Penn State has made the hiring of special teams coordinator Justin Lustig official.
https://x.com/PennStateFball/status/1747643262930759977?s=20
Like his predecessor, Stacy Collins, Lustig will also be coaching Penn State’s outside linebackers and nickelbacks.
He has experience coaching defensive backs, having done so at Christopher Newport (2001-02, 04-05,) and Villanova (2003).
Lustig hasn’t coached outside linebackers at the college level, at least according to his resume. His resume is an impressive one. Before his most recent stop at Vanderbilt (2021-23), Lustig was at Syracuse for four seasons. In 2018, he was nominated for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Lustig is a Pennsylvania guy. He grew up in Erie and played at Cathedral Prep. He then played defensive back at Bucknell from 1997-2000.
In a statement,Lustig said he’s “long held the Penn State program as the gold standard of college football.”
“My family and I are incredibly excited for this opportunity to come back to our home state and join this historic program,” Lustig said. “I want to thank Coach (James) Franklin for this opportunity to join the Penn State Football staff. I’m eager to get to work with this remarkable staff and community.”
In the same article, Franklin said in a statement that he’s thrilled to welcome Lustig and his family to Penn State
“I have followed Justin’s career closely and have been thoroughly impressed with the way his special teams units have consistently performed,” Franklin said. “He’s spent 19 seasons as a special teams coordinator and also brings valuable experience from a very successful stint as a head coach. Justin is a Pennsylvania guy who will fit in well within our organization and this Happy Valley community.”
