Should Penn State Promote a Dynamic Young Staff Member to Assistant Coach?
As Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr. leaves for the NFL, coach James Franklin has an intriguing young candidate on his staff.
Deion Barnes, a former Penn State defensive end and current staff member, could be in line to take over for Scott. The 30-year-old Barnes would be a popular choice among players and staff members not only as a position coach but also as a recruiter.
"His impact has been monumental," former defensive tackle PJ Mustipher said before the Rose Bowl. "... Guys across the board, even myself, I never considered myself the best pass rusher, but I'm starting to really trust my skills and stuff, and that's all from coach Deion."
Scott is leaving Penn State after three seasons to take a position with the Detroit Lions, according to a report from the Centre Daily Times' Jon Sauber. In a statement, Franklin said that Scott is taking advantage of a "great opportunity."
Scott continued Penn State's defensive line success under Franklin. He coached four NFL Draft picks, including first-rounder Odafe Oweh and second-rounder Arnold Ebiketie, at Penn State and nine in his college career. Scott arrived at Penn State with 16 years of college coaching experience and two in the NFL with the New York Jets.
Barnes, meanwhile, has not been a full-time college assistant, and stepping into his first such role at Penn State might be a stretch. However, Franklin thought highly enough to retain Barnes after his graduate assistant role was about to expire.
Earlier this year, Franklin hired Barnes as an offensive/defensive analyst and analytics coordinator. Barnes joined former Penn State players Dan Connor and Calvin Lowry in the role.
Franklin took notice of Barnes at a Penn State summer camp several years ago. Barnes had Penn State bona fides: He was the Big Ten freshman of the year in 2012 and a two-time all-conference defensive end. Franklin liked what he heard and saw after meeting with Barnes and hired him as a defensive graduate assistant.
Deion Barnes was an All-Big Ten defensive end for Penn State in 2014.
Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports
Barnes worked with the defensive linemen and helped Penn State and associate head coach Terry Smith recalibrate their Pennsylvania recruiting strategy to provide better coverage of Philadelphia. A Philadelphia native, Barnes played and coached at Northeast High.
At Penn State's Signing Day media event in December, Smith called Barnes an "anchor" for the program and set a high bar for his future, with the Lions or elsewhere.
"Hopefully, Deion gets a great job somewhere," Smith told reporters, according to Lions247. "He's a great [defensive] coach. He's a great mind. He's a great recruiter. I hope he can go find a job that he's looking for, but I don't want to lose him here at Penn State. Hopefully, some things can work out here at Penn State long term. But he's been tremendous for us in Philadelphia."
At Penn State, Franklin doesn't have a history of hiring first-time coaches. Marques Hagans, Penn State's new receivers coach, spent 12 seasons at Virginia before joining Franklin's staff. Tight ends coach Ty Howle, a former Penn State offensive lineman, had six years of coaching experience and was the co-offensive coordinator at Western Illinois before Franklin hired him.
And Penn State's defensive line isn't necessarily the place to conduct on-the-job training. Franklin has a preseason top-10 team stacked with edge rushers that needs interior seasoning. When he hired Hagans, Franklin didn't leave the impression that he's willing to settle at any position group.
"I'm looking for us to develop and recruit a room that people in our conference are fearful of, and also on a national scale as well," Franklin said of his expectation of the receivers. Certainly that expectation extends to the defensive line.
Penn State is in position to spend money on a top candidate, perhaps even poach one from a prominent program, so the search likely has gone national. Plenty of exceptional candidates are interested.
Still, Franklin made certain he could retain Barnes on his staff. That's a pretty strong recommendation for a young, dynamic staff member whom many at Penn State believe has a bright future in coaching.
Mustipher offered another recommendation.
"I'm hoping coach Deion is able to find himself his own d-line room here in the near future and he deserves that because he's put in the work," Mustipher said. "[I'm] just blessed to be able to play for two guys [Scott and Barnes] who have that passion about the defensive line like we do."
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