Penn State James Franklin is assuredly doing his due diligence when it comes to the search to replace Tom Allen as defensive coordinator and one name to watch is Brad White who holds the same position at Kentucky.
White has been in Lexington since 2018 after spending six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as the outside linebackers coach. He’s been the defensive coordinator for Mark Stoops’ Wildcats for the past six seasons, and the Kentucky defense has steadily been among the top defenses in the SEC.
An outside linebackers coach, White was instrumental in the development of former Wildcat Josh Allen who racked up a multitude of national awards under his tutelage in 2018. He’s had four top-25 defenses in his time with Kentucky in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Although Franklin hasn’t coached in the SEC in quite sometime, he’s no stranger to White’s work with the Wildcats. White was the defensive coordinator for Kentucky for the 2019 Citrus Bowl, a 27-24 win for the Wildcats.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Kentucky’s defense has had a penchant for turnovers under White’s guidance and that alone makes him what could be an under-the-radar prospect for the open position.
It was a far from stellar year for a Kentucky team that went 4-8 and struggled mightily at times, but the overall body of work for White has been impressive with a program known for taking a backseat to the basketball team.
Penn State returns a lot of big-time playmakers for the 2025 season and the first step in returning back to the playoff is surrounding the squad with someone who can help get them to the next level.
