Tag: Anthony Poindexter

Amid opt-outs, Anthony Poindexter says defense still has a standard to live up to

Penn State defense still has a high bar to clear for the Outback Bowl despite missing so many key players to opt-outs

There is no question that Penn State’s defense has been hit hard to early NFL departures heading into this weekend’s Outback Bowl matchup with Arkansas. The Nittany Lions are down four key starters on the defensive side of the football due to NFL declarations, but Anthony Poindexter says that will not be an excuse for the defense against the Razorbacks.

“Everybody wants to play,” Poindexter said when meeting with the media after practice in Tampa on Tuesday (according to Blue White Illustrated). “A lot of guys who probably didn’t play as much as they wanted to in the regular season, here’s their chance to play. We got a standard for how we play defense here, and we expect them to play the way we’re used to playing.”

Poindexter, Penn State’s safeties coach, will be taking on the play-calling duties for the defense in the Outback Bowl. James Franklin confirmed Poindexter will be leading the defense following the departure of Brent Pry to be a head coach at Virginia Tech, while new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz will take on the role after the bowl game.

Poindexter is taking over the defense that will be playing without safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end Arnold Ebiketie or linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks. All four players have opted out of the bowl game to begin focusing on their NFL futures, leaving Penn State’s defensive depth being put to the test against Arkansas.

“I think we’ve got enough leadership that we don’t have to ask these young guys to be leaders, but they’re gonna have to communicate,” Poindexter said. “Any time you play a team like Arkansas that’s running tempo offense, you’re going to have to communicate and be on the same page. They’ve been practicing. They know what to do. Now they’re just going to have to go out there and do it.”

Penn State’s defense will be put to the test by the Razorbacks. Although Arkansas is without its top wide receiver, Treylon Burks, after opting out himself, the Razorbacks have plenty of ability to do some damage on offense with a mobile quarterback in KJ Jefferson and a decent ability to run the football, something Penn State has struggled containing against quality opponents this season. But odds are probably pretty good Poindexter and the rest of the staff and defense had a better expectation of who will and will not be available for this game, so it’s probably not likely these opt-outs of Brisker or Ebiketie were accounted for in game planning in recent weeks.

Penn State did get some good news with some key defensive players deciding to return for another season, thus will be available for the Outback Bowl. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Jonathan Sutherland all confirmed they will return in 2022. And despite speculation, he may also be moving on, Jesse Luketa has arrived in Tampa and is practicing with the team this week. Luketa could see more time at linebacker this week as Penn State adjusts its defense.

Penn State faces Arkansas in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

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James Franklin confirms who will be Penn State’s defensive cooridnator in Outback Bowl

James Franklin confirms who will be Penn State’s defensive coordinator for the Outback Bowl against Arkansas

Penn State recently made a pretty big splash with the recent hiring of Manny Diaz to be the team’s new defensive coordinator. But head coach James Franklin isn’t about to let Diaz call the shots on defense just yet. Instead, the defensive coordinator responsibilities for the Outback Bowl will stay in-house.

Franklin recently confirmed in a media session that Anthony Poindexter will the acting defensive coordinator when Penn State faces Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2022. Poindexter had held the role of co-defensive coordinator and confirmed he would remain on Penn State’s staff after being viewed as a potential target for the head coaching vacancy at Virginia.

“Anthony Poindexter will call the defense for the bowl game,” Franklin confirmed in his Friday media session. “Manny is really here getting adjusted.”

Franklin explained that it would be unfair for Diaz and his staff to throw the new defensive coordinator into the position right away. Instead, Diaz will take the time to get caught up to speed with the team, the players, the recruiting efforts, and more before taking on the role of defensive coordinator fully after the Outback Bowl.

“Obviously, all the HR paperwork that has to be done at a place like Penn State, getting him familiar with the roster, getting him familiar with the coaching staff,” Franklin explained. “You know, just getting adjusted, recruiting, all those types of things.”

Diaz will ultimately replace Brent Pry as the team’s lead defensive coordinator. Pry left Penn State after a long tenure alongside Franklin to become the head coach at Virginia Tech.

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Penn State hires former Miami head coach Manny Diaz to be defensive cooridnator

Penn State makes a major defensive coordinator hire with Manny Diaz

Just when it seemed Penn State may have had its defensive coordinator position figured out, the Nittany Lions landed a big-name hire to fill the position. Manny Diaz, the former head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, has officially been named the new defensive coordinator of Penn State. Penn State announced the hire Saturday morning.

“We are thrilled to add Manny Diaz as our defensive coordinator,” head coach James Franklin said in a released statement. “Manny is a veteran defensive play-caller whose head coaching experience will bring tremendous value to our organization. He has an innovative approach to complement his extensive Xs & Os knowledge which he developed through his stops at multiple Power Five conferences. Manny’s defensive philosophy is in line with our scheme and will help in the transition with our current team. His defenses have been aggressive and led the country in several categories throughout his career.”

This is a massive hire for Franklin, as Diaz is a well-respected defensive coach with years of success as a defensive coordinator. Diaz was hired to be the head coach at Temple prior to the 2019 season but quickly moved to Miami once the Hurricanes made him an offer to be their head coach. Diaz coached Miami for three seasons as the head coach before being ousted by the university in favor of former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal. Diaz’s exit from Miami was a mess handled by the Miami administration, so Penn State should feel fortunate the Hurricanes decided to part ways with their former head coach.

“My family and I are so excited to come to Happy Valley and join the Penn State family,” Diaz said in a released statement. “The opportunity to lead Linebacker U is an honor and I will work every day to uphold that tradition. Penn State’s defense has been among the nation’s best, both historically and under Coach Franklin. I will continue to pursue excellence with our defensive unit on a daily basis. I can’t wait to get on the field with this talented group, to get to know them, and to ultimately develop them as football players, students and young men.”

Diaz will be taking on his first job in the Big Ten but he brings plenty of years of experience coaching some of the nation’s most respected defensive teams. Diaz has been a defensive assistant at NC State, Mississippi State, Texas, and Miami in addition to his few years as head coach at Miami.

Diaz will fill the staff position left open by Brent Pry, he left Penn State for an opportunity to be the head coach at Virginia Tech. Penn State’s co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter was thought by some to be the most likely candidate to take on the role full-time after Virginia moved in a different direction to fill their head coaching vacancy. Poindexter has stated he will remain with Penn State, which will give Diaz a solid coach to be working alongside with.

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Defensive coordinator search could be over as Anthony Poindexter makes a decision

Penn State’s search for a defensive coordinator could be over with Anthony Poindexter’s latest statement

Just when it looked as though momentum was building for the possibility of Penn State losing another defensive coordinator to a head coaching opportunity, it appears as though that will no longer be the case. Anthony Poindexter will reportedly stay at Penn State on the staff under James Franklin instead of moving to his alma mater to become the next head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers. And that could mean Penn State’s search for a defensive coordinator will officially be over soon.

Poindexter appeared to be a leading candidate for the Virginia head coaching job over the last week, with Franklin appearing to be bracing for the possibility of coaching the Outback Bowl against Arkansas with a reduced staff as a result. Penn State is already without Brent Pry, who has moved on to become the head coach at Virginia Tech. But on Wednesday, multiple reports suggested Poindexter will stay at Penn State. Among those reporting such was Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, via Twitter.

“Timing is everything for both sides,” Poindexter reportedly told Rittenberg. “There will be a day, but I’m going to stay at Penn State.”

What led to this statement from Poindexter confirming his decision to stay at Penn State is up for interpretation, of course. Poindexter had plenty to offer Virginia, but the Cavaliers could also be moving in a different direction for their head coach search. According to Brett McMurphy of The Action Network, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott is the leading candidate for the job in Charlottesville now.

Did Poindexter turn Virginia down, or did Virginia decide to move in a different direction away from the former Virginia All-American? Again, who knows for sure?

What this means, however, is Penn State may have its defensive coordinator figured out. Poindexter had the title of co-defensive coordinator at Penn State along with Pry, although Pry was largely credited for being the main coordinator. With Pry gone, Franklin could simply put more of the defensive responsibilities on Poindexter as the sole defensive coordinator or move him up in rank while adding another co-defensive coordinator.

There could be options to explore in adding a defensive coordinator. Ohio State will have to adjust its staff to make room for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles on their staff, leaving some Penn State fans dreaming of a return of Larry Johnson in a more prominent role, but don’t count on that option playing out. The sudden availability of former Miami head coach Manny Diaz, who enjoyed success as a defensive coordinator, is fun to think about as well, but there is no indication Franklin is looking that way at this time.

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Scratch another name off Penn State’s options at defensive coordinator

Penn State continues to search for a new defensive coordinator, and Ohio State just added one of the best on the market.

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With Virginia seemingly likely to be preparing to hire Penn Stae co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter to be its next head coach, Penn State continues to be on the prowl for a new defensive coordinator. And one of the names that had been thrown out as a potential target by some is already on the move to his new job. And it’s to Ohio State.

Jim Knowles, who had been the heralded defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State, is heading to Columbus to take on the role of defensive coordinator for Ohio State. From one OSU to another, Knowles will begin in his new role with Ohio State after Ohio State’s bowl game, allowing the current staff to remain in charge of the defense.

Interestingly, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has not made any cuts to his current staff, so it would seem someone is about to move to a new role, or Day foresees one of his assistants leaving for another opportunity and the addition of Knowles now ensures Ohio State’s staff will be relatively stable in any transition.

Larry Johnson to Penn State to be a defensive coordinator? Some will dream of this, for sure.

Knowles, a Pennsylvania native, had been mentioned by some as a potential candidate to take on the role of defensive coordinator at Penn State. Whether he was ever on the radar of Penn State or head coach James Franklin for the position is unknown, but it not at all comforting knowing Penn State’s biggest obstacle just secured one of the top defensive coordinator on the market at a time it has already lost Brent Pry to a head coaching job at Virginia Tech and Poindexter could be on the move to Virginia at any moment.

For now, the search continues for Franklin and Penn State. One name to keep an eye on may be Manny Diaz. Diaz was removed as head coach at Miami this week to allow the Hurricanes to hire Oregon‘s Mario Cristobal as his replacement. Miami bought out Diaz’s contract for $8 million, making Diaz a free agent. How quickly he returns to coaching remains to be seen, especially with an $8 million buyout to fall back on at least for a season.

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Report: Penn State’s Anthony Poindexter is leading candidate at Virginia

Penn State could lose its other co-defensive coordinator to a head coach vacancy in the ACC.

The momentum could be building for Penn State to lose another defensive coach to a head coaching opportunity elsewhere. Anthony Poindexter has gone from being a candidate on Virginia’s radar to a possible leading candidate for to fill the head coaching vacancy in just a matter of days.

Penn State is already looking to find a new defensive coordinator after Brent Pry left his position to become a head coach at Virginia Tech. Poindexter, who had been the team’s co-defensive coordinator, was believed to be the top in-house option to take on the role in Happy Valley. But a chance to return home to Virginia appears to be materializing for the Virginia alum.

According to The Daily Progress, Poindexter is now the leading candidate for the Virginia job. There is no timeline for when any decision will be announced by Virginia, but recent press conference quotes from James Franklin suggested Penn State is preparing for its Outback Bowl matchup with the possibility of missing more than just Pry on the assistant coaching staff.

Poindexter is a Virginia native and he played his college football for the Cavaliers. He also got his coaching start with the Virginia program as a graduate assistant in 2003 and an assistant coach serving various roles from 2004 through 2013 ranging from running backs coach to defensive backs coach, to safeties and special teams coach. He is much a Virginia man as they may come. If Virginia wants someone to take over their program who truly understands everything the program is about and what challenges it has in the ACC, then Poindexter would seem to make plenty of sense.

Whether or not Poindexter ultimately leaves Penn State for a chance to coach his alma mater, the ACC Coastal Division will see a good amount of new faces in 2022. Pry will be the new head coach at Virginia Tech. Miami just released Manny Diaz in favor of Mario Cristobal from Oregon (where former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead left to become the new head coach at Akron). And at Duke, David Cutcliffe retired at the conclusion of the regular season.

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Report: Penn State’s other defensive coordinator a head coach candidate at Virginia

Penn State’s top in-house defensive coordinator option, Anthony Poindexter, could be a candidate to be the next head coach at Virginia

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Penn State’s coaching staff is currently looking to find a new defensive coordinator after Brent Pry accepted an offer to become the new head coach at Virginia Tech. According to one report, it seems Penn State’s most likely in-house candidate to take on the role of defensive coordinator could be a candidate to be Pry’s new rival at Virginia.

Anthony Poindexter, who had been Penn State’s co-defensive coordinator with Pry under head coach James Franklin, has been mentioned as a candidate or a coach with interest connected to the vacancy at Virginia. Bronco Mendenhall officially resigned from his position of head coach with the Cavaliers at the conclusion of the regular season, opening up another head coaching vacancy in the ACC this offseason.

Mike Barber, the ACC beat reporter for Richmond Times-Dispatch, mentioned Poindexter as a potential candidate for the Virginia job Sunday morning, via Twitter. Poindexter was mentioned as a candidate for Virginia among others including Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and Marshall head coach Charles Huff.

Poindexter is a Virginia native and he played his college football for the Cavaliers. He also got his coaching start with the Virginia program as a graduate assistant in 2003 and an assistant coach serving various roles from 2004 through 2013 ranging from running backs coach to defensive backs coach, to safeties and special teams coach. He is much a Virginia man as they may come. If Virginia wants someone to take over their program who truly understands everything the program is about and what challenges it has in the ACC, then Poindexter would seem to make plenty of sense.

Huff is another former Penn State assistant under James Franklin, and he is coming off his first season as head coach at Marshall. Huff coached Marshall to a 7-5 record, which will send the Thundering Herd to the bowl season. Huff could be a nice hire by Virginia as well given his recruiting connections in the region and his year of head coaching experience already under his belt.

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott is also a coach viewed as ready to take on a head coaching opportunity somewhere, and he could be the second coordinator this offseason to leave Clemson if Virginia makes him an offer. Reports are indicating Oklahoma will hire Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables to be their next head coach after Lincoln Riley left for USC.

There is no expected timeline for when Virginia will name its next head coach, although things do tend to move swiftly this time of the year when it comes to the coaching carousel. Poindexter remains a likely top candidate to be Penn State’s full-time defensive coordinator for now, but the Virginia vacancy will certainly be worth paying close attention to with Poindexter looking like a solid candidate for the job.

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5 possible candidates for defensive coordinator at Penn State

5 possible candidates to replace Brent Pry as Penn State’s defensive coordinator

For the first time since becoming a head coach, James Franklin is searching for a new defensive coordinator. Franklin’s long-time defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, accepted an opportunity to become a head coach with Virginia Tech and that leaves a big hole on Franklin’s staff he has never once had to fill during his years as a head coach. Pry was on Franklin’s staff with at least a share of the defensive coordinator responsibilities since Franklin’s first year as a head coach at Vanderbilt, and Pry followed Franklin to Penn State to continue leading the defense.

But with Pry off to Blacksburg, and possibly taking a couple of assistants and staffers with him, Franklin must find a new coach to lead the defense in 2022. And, if history is any indication, Franklin will have some interesting names worth considering for Pry’s successor in Happy Valley. There is even a chance the next defensive coordinator could already be on the staff, but there could be some names worth exploring from outside of the Penn State football family as well.

Here are five names Penn State fans will likely be hearing about to some degree or another as Franklin looks to find his next defensive coordinator.