It looks like Penn State has its man at defensive coordinator.
Per a report by Jon Sauber of the Centre Daily Times, Penn State is set to hire USC’s Danton Lynn as DC.
This is a name that should be familiar to Penn State fans.
Lynn is a Penn Stater, having played for Joe Paterno from 2008 to 2011. As a sophomore, Lynn started on a team that finished 11-2 and in the top 10, and kept that starting position through his last season, which was also Paterno’s final season at PSU.
From there, Lynn had a brief pro career, getting a shot with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The Jets released Lynn toward the end of training camp, and the following spring, he signed with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger Cats, where he was released a week later.
After that, Lynn began his coaching career at the age of 25, starting as a seasonal intern with the Jets in 2014.
He then followed head coach Rex Ryan to the Buffalo Bills, where he spent the next two seasons as a defensive assistant. From there, he joined his father Anthony’s staff with the LA Chargers, staying for a season before becoming the Houston Texans’ assistant secondary coach (2018-19) and then the secondary coach (2020). In 2021, he joined John Harbaugh’s staff with the Baltimore Ravens, becoming the safeties coach from 2021-22.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In 2023, Lynn returned to the college game, becoming UCLA’s defensive coordinator.
In one season, Lynn helped a unit that ranked 92nd in scoring defense improve all the way to No. 14.
That helped him get a job across town at USC, where Lynn inherited a unit that had been a mess under Alex Grinch.
In 2023, USC ranked No. 121 out of 133 teams in scoring defense.
In 2024, it improved to No. 58. This year, it went up to No. 49.
Now, it looks like Lynn will command a unit that usually finishes in or around the top 10, and do so at his Alma Mater.
