The Penn State Nittany Lions are in search of a new defensive coordinator to fill the shoes of Manny Diaz. Diaz has accepted the head coaching job with the Duke Blue Devils following the departure of former head coach Mike Elko. Diaz is coming off of a year in which he led the best defense in the nation as his Nittany Lions squad held opponents to just 223.2 yards per game.
Welcome to Duke, @Coach_MannyDiaz! 😈 pic.twitter.com/mQhNhm0Pb0
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) December 8, 2023
His defense wasn’t only the best of the nation in 2023, but it is the lowest yards per game allowed by any defense since the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2011. Diaz was the defensive coordinator for just two years at Penn State, but the defense saw significant improvement in that short time. The 18.2 points per game and 323.5 yards per game in 2022 were enough to earn him a nomination for the Broyles Award, which is given to the top assistant in the nation.
While his 11.42 points per game defense that pitched three shutouts on the year made Diaz a hot commodity on the coaching market, this will not be his first time trying his hand at a head coaching job. Diaz posted a 21-15 record while being a head coach with the Miami Hurricanes, and his top-ranked defense there was responsible for the invention of the “Turnover Chain.” The shoes to fill at the Nittany Lion defensive coordinator position are big, but the market is far from a wasteland.
The 1st Candidate for the Penn State Nittany Lions Defensive Coordinator Position, Anthony Poindexter, Could Come From Within
The Penn State Nittany Lions could hire a replacement for Manny Diaz that is already familiar with the system that brought so much success. Anthony Poindexter is currently the co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
Poindexter has experience leading a defense with the UConn Huskies from 2014-2016. His defenses there were not the best in the nation, but the Huskies went from 51st in total defense before he got there to 33rd after just one year. This was done with a major talent discrepancy when compared to the competition he and his Huskies defense were forced to go up against.
Penn State Nittany Lions Might Consider Hiring Someone With a Path Similar to Manny Diaz in Former Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Tom Allen
In a fashion similar to Diaz, Allen tried his hand at being a head coach at a Power Five school and was fired. Although his records as a head coach leave something to be desired, this does not take away from his ability to coordinate a defense. The Hoosiers didn’t put up nation-leading numbers on defense, but they saw stark improvements with Allen at the helm.
Indiana was 120th in total defense in the year prior to Allens arrival as they allowed over 500 yards per game. In his first year, Allen had the Indiana defense at 45th in the country and giving up 130 less yards per game.
Penn State Nittany Lions Could go the Route of a Proven Big Ten Defensive Coordinator in Jim Leonhard
Currently a senior analyst under Bret Bielema for the Illinois Fighting Illini, Leonhard has a proven track record as a defensive coordinator in the Big Ten. Leonhard went 4-3 as the interim head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers after the firing of Paul Chryst. He took over as the interim head coach due to the fact that he was a defensive coordinator there since 2017.
Leonhard’s squad led the nation in defense in 2021 while allowing 239.1 yards per game, and they were second in the nation in 2017 making him a finalist for the Broyles award. As a part of a separation agreement with the Badgers, Leonhard would receive $1 million if he did not accept a head coaching position or defensive coordinator position with an NFL or FBS team. As a result, Leonhard has taken a step back in the analyst role under Bielema, but he is poised to make a return in 2024.
In an article from BadgerExtra, Bielema outlines his reasoning for giving Leonhard a job. After thinking he was going to take over the Wisconsin program, Leonhard did not want to stay with the Badgers.
“I see it kind of as a stepping stone for guys to make the next step,” Bielema said in July. “To stay in the business, stay active and stay relevant.”
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