When Penn State needed to find a new defensive line coach in the spring of 2023, it did not have to look very far to find one. [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag], a former defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions who spent three seasons on the football staff as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line, was officially named the team’s new defensive line coach on the eve of the start of spring football practices.
Barnes was a three-year letterman at Penn State who went on to spend a few years in professional football with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as one season in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders, which led him back to Penn State to begin his coaching career with head coach James Franklin.
Here is a look at some of the best photos from Barnes during his time playing for the Nittany Lions from 2012 through 2014.