Penn State may not be in the market for a defensive line coach, but one popular former assistant coach with previous experience with the Nittany Lions is once again available.
[autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], the master of chaos, was relieved of his duties with the Florida Gators as part of some offseason staff changes for the program.
Spencer goes way back with Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. Spencer was the defensive line coach for Vanderbilt under Franklin and continued that role when Franklin brought him to the Penn State staff after he was named Penn State’s head coach in 2014. Spencer served that role as defensive line coach from 2014 through 2019, at which time he left to join the coaching staff of the NFL’s New York Giants. After two tears with the Giants, Spencer’s next step in his coaching career led him to the Florida Gators. Spencer was with Florida for two years.
Penn State had a need for a defensive line coach earlier this year when John Scott Jr. left to coach the defensive line with the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Penn State promoted from within with Deion Barnes taking over the role to the delight of the players on the team. And given the performance of the defense this season, there are no reasons to make any changes with the defensive staff, it would seem.
But if Penn State finds itself in need of replacing [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] for whatever reason, Spencer could be a name to keep an eye on. It would make some sense and would likely be received well. The familiarity with the program and the staff would be a nice perk. Of course, Penn State hopes it is not in a position to replace Diaz.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.