Are there any changes on defense under Manny Diaz?
When Penn State lost longtime James Franklin assistant Brent Pry to an opportunity to become the head coach at Virginia Tech, they were fortunate to see a coaching change going down at Miami. The Hurricanes cut loose Many Diaz to bring in former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, and Franklin swooped in to bring Diaz back to his defensive coordinator roots to fill his staff vacancy.
From a defensive standpoint, not a whole lot really needs to change for Penn State. The defense was far from Penn State’s problem last season, although it seemed to have a few cracks exposed in its regular-season finale at Michigan State at the end of a long season. And despite an Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas, a game that featured a number of new starters following a handful of significant opt-outs by NFL-bound players, the defense appears to be in a pretty good spot heading into the season.
Diaz does have some work to do with the defense, but the secondary could once again be a strength despite some key departures, and the defensive line should continue to bring good pressure. We’ll get a better glimpse at Diaz’s defense once the season actually begins. For now, don’t expect a whole lot to be changing under the new defensive coordinator.
Back on offense, what does Year 2 under Mike Yurcich look like?
A year ago, Penn State took advantage of another coaching change at Texas to bring in Mike Yurcich as its offensive coordinator. The addition was widely regarded as a great move for Penn State, who needed to replace Ricky Rahne after he left to become a head coach at Old Dominion. But the offense didn’t exactly flourish the way many had hoped it would in the first year under Yurcich despite having the benefit of a full spring practice schedule compared to the previous season with no spring practices.
But with the return of Sean Clifford for a sixth season at quarterback, Yurcich will have an opportunity to really dial in on what worked on what didn’t work this spring with his returning starter. And for Clifford, he’ll have his first chance to work with the same offensive coordinator for a second straight season. The hope is that leads to some positive results in the fall. And as long as the offensive line helps out, that should be the case.