How D'Anton Lynn Found His Way Back to Penn State

STATE COLLEGE | D’Anton Lynn had not been to the Penn State football facility since former quarterback Christian Hackenberg’s Pro Day in 2015. But a decade and seven coaching stops later, he’s finally back.

The former Penn State cornerback, who spent the past two seasons as USC’s defensive coordinator, returned to his alma mater in January to join Matt Campbell’s staff in the same role.

“The more I talked to Campbell on the phone, he really reminded me of why I went to Penn State, just from what he was going to do with the culture here,” Lynn said at a recent media availability at Beaver Stadium. “I was just excited to be on board.”

Lynn was a three-time All-Big Ten cornerback at Penn State, playing from 2008-11. He started 37 of the last 38 games he played and through the chaotic 2011 season when Joe Paterno was fired and Tom Bradley became the interim head coach.

Last year, after Tom Allen left for Clemson, former Penn State James Franklin pursued Lynn as his defensive coordinator, but he signed a contract extension with USC instead. Penn State hired Jim Knowles instead.

This year, however, Lynn said it was the right time to return.

“I feel like everything’s a family decision at this point, and me and my wife, it just felt like we were more prepared this time around,” Lynn said. His wife is from Los Angeles, and they have three kids under three.

While the Lasch Football Building looks “completely different” than when he played, Lynn said that being back on campus “brought back a lot of memories.”

The road back to Penn State

Penn State’s Matt Campbell says that, once he began his search for a defensive coordinator, his top candidate was D’Anton Lynn. pic.twitter.com/GOHfC6wg3Q
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) February 4, 2026

Lynn started his coaching career in the NFL as an intern with the New York Jets, the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He worked with the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers before spending three seasons with the Houston Texans (and former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien) as their secondary coach.

In 2023, he made the switch to college football, becoming UCLA’s defensive coordinator. Lynn transformed the Bruins’ defensive rank, elevating it to No. 10 in the country after they ended the 2022 season ranked No. 87.

In 2024, as USC’s first-year defensive coordinator, he faced the Nittany Lions when Tyler Warren did the unimaginable: snapping the ball and catching a touchdown pass on the same play.

“[Warren] was just an unbelievable player, just all the different ways they were able to get him the ball and just really the tight end history that’s been here,” Lynn said. “I’m excited about this new offensive staff, because I know the focal point of their offense is going to be tight ends.”

Even though they didn’t know each other, Campbell said that Lynn’s was the “first name that came up” after his defensive coordinator at Iowa State, Jon Heacock, retired after 43 years of coaching.

“Obviously from talking to some people that I have great respect for to even in-house with some of our own coaches that had come with me, I just felt like that [Lynn] was the No. 1 target for the style of defense we wanted to play," Campbell said. "For somebody that understood Penn State football, that wanted to be here, that wanted to be a part of this program, that had a passion for Penn State. I felt like that was critical.”

Said Lynn, “I didn’t really think I’d coach in college, and then when I got the UCLA job, obviously, I’ve been a Penn State fan, but coming back here to coach, I didn’t really think that opportunity would come,” Lynn said.

The key to D’Anton Lynn’s defense

USC Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn reacts against the Utah State Aggies during the fourth quarter. — USC Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn reacts against the Utah State Aggies during the fourth quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Lynn is a versatile defensive coordinator, and his ability to adapt stood out to Campbell.

“The thing that I love about D’Anton Lynn is his variability, his ability to have consistency and I think you see a confidence that his defense plays with,” Campbell said. “You saw that at UCLA, you saw that at USC and the improvement that they were making during his time there. But you also saw the ability to structurally dictate and navigate the pace of the game at times because he could vary the fronts, he could vary how the run fits were looking.”

Under Knowles’ defense, Penn State struggled schematically, and when key players like linebacker Tony Rojas suffered injuries, it became harder to adapt. Having a more functional scheme under Lynn should translate to players acclimating more quickly and finding success.

And Lynn will build that scheme with some familiar coaches: Defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, who worked with Lynn at UCLA, and safeties coach Deon Broomfield, whom Lynn has known since their days in Buffalo.

Broomfield coached under Campbell and Heacock at Iowa State and said Lynn has a different schematic approach. “But I would say they’re very similar in terms of being great at the things that take no talent,” Broomfield said. “Like, are you going to run to the ball, are you going to communicate at a high level like assignment sound football?”

The defensive staff hasn’t fully met to discuss strategy yet, but Terry Smith, who is back as Penn State’s associate head coach and cornerback coach, said Lynn is “sharp.”

“He’s very creative in his approach to defense,” Smith said. “I think one of his strengths is he’s not fixed in a certain defense. He’s fixed into players more so than his plays and knowing where your strengths are.”

'An asset for us'

D’Anton Lynn understands the Penn State standard…

Because he lived it as a player for Joe Paterno ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/7PyJrprsTy
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) February 7, 2026

Campbell has spoken often about the history of Penn State and the importance of teaching it to today’s players. Who better to do that than Lynn, a popular and accomplished letterman?

“You can see his love and passion for Penn State. … Him being back is an asset for us,” Smith said. “His approach is going to be different than [offensive coordinator Taylor] Mouser, per se, because, and this isn’t a knock on Mouser, but his love is different for Penn State. It’s a family thing, so he’s going to do everything in his power, as coach Mouser will as well, but his passion is just going to be different.”

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The road back to Penn State

The key to D’Anton Lynn’s defense

'An asset for us'

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