Nittany Lions’ Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn ‘Embodies What Penn State Football Is Built On’

It was 15 seasons ago when D’Anton Lynn last stood on the Beaver Stadium turf for a fall football game as a Penn State cornerback. Lynn returns in 13 days as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator, when Penn State hosts Marshall in the 2026 season opener. Time flies.

In his stellar Penn State career from 2008-11, Lynn started 37 of his final 38 games. Since that season, the Nittany Lions have had seven different defensive coordinators: Ted Roof, John Butler, Bob Shoop, Brent Pry, Manny Diaz, Tom Allen and Jim Knowles.

With Lynn, the DC at PSU has come full circle in many ways. Tom Bradley, who recruited Lynn out of Celina, Texas — where Lynn played defensive back, linebacker quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and was team captain in both football and track & field — was the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator for Lynn’s entire Penn State career.

Lynn is the first Penn State alum to head the Penn State defense since Bradley, who set a standard that his former pupil will be trying to match. As defensive coordinator, Bradley guided Penn State to six consecutive top-15 finishes in both total and scoring defense. In an eight-season stretch, Bradley’s defenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in points allowed seven times and in the top 20 nationally in total defense seven times. His 2004 defense never gave up more than 21 points, though saddled with a woeful offense that was the key reason for a 4-7 record.

BRADLEY ON LYNN

The other day, Bradley told me that Lynn is the perfect choice to lead the Penn State defense in the Matt Campbell Era. Lynn has coached in the NFL, and at his last two coaching stops — UCLA and USC — Lynn was the defensive coordinator.

“D’Anton was a quality person from the first day I started recruiting him,” Bradley said. “You could tell he was a coach’s kid. First class. On the field, he was a heady, smart player you could always count on to be in the right place and make the right play.”

Lynn was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention cornerback and was an important part of two 11-win Penn State teams, including a squad that won a share of the Big Ten title. He recorded 162 total tackles — seven for a loss, with four interceptions and a fumble recovery. In 2010, he was second on the team in total tackles (75) and tied for the team lead in interceptions (three).

More from Bradley: “It hasn’t been a surprise to see him to be such a success as a coach. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a head coach — soon.”

Pete Nakos of On3 agrees. In a recent article on “Power conference coordinators who could be head coaches in 2027,” Nakos included Lynn (who will turn 37 on Penn State’s bye Saturday). Nakos had this to say about Lynn:

“D’Anton Lynn, Penn State defensive coordinator: The former Penn State standout cornerback returned to State College this offseason after two seasons at USC. Matt Campbell pulled him back to his alma mater. In his short time with the Trojans, he turned around the USC defense in the last two seasons. USC held opponents to an average of just 24.1 points per game in 2024, improving from 34.4 in 2023. If his defense at Penn State looks the part in 2026, he’s expected to be a top coaching candidate.”

Coaching football is literally in the DNA of Anthony Ray “D’Anton” Lynn II. His father, Anthony, enters his third season with the Washington Commanders as run game coordinator/running backs coach. After an NFL playing career where he won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, Anthony has coached 10 NFL teams — including a four-year stint as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

O’BRIEN ON LYNN

Another former Penn State coach, Bill O’Brien, can attest to Lynn’s coaching chops. Most prominent of Lynn’s five coaching stops in the NFL was with the Houston Texans, when O’Brien was the head coach there. Lynn — who also coached with the Jets, Chargers, Ravens and Bills — worked under O’Brien for three seasons. In 2018-19, Lynn was the assistant secondary coach, and the following year he was the secondary coach, running the back-end show.

O’Brien couldn’t stop raving about Lynn when I checked in with him. Now the head coach at Boston College, O’Brien certainly knows Penn State well, having successfully coached the Nittany Lions in the historically challenging 2012-13 seasons. He missed coaching Lynn at Penn State by one season, but he knows what Lynn means to Nittany Nation. OB has high standards, and Lynn meets every one of them. And more.

“D’Anton did a great job for me in Houston,” O’Brien told me. “He is smart, tough, hard-working, dependable, a good communicator and honest. He loves Penn State. He will have a tremendous impact on that program.”

(BTW: O’Brien had good things to say about Campbell as well.)

MATT McGLOIN ON LYNN

Matt McGloin was the original program link between Lynn and O’Brien.

McGloin, the heady and gutsy former Penn State quarterback who is now on the Penn State Board of Trustees, roomed with Lynn for three years at Penn State. Then, after Lynn graduated with a degree in communications arts & sciences, McGloin had one year remaining at PSU. And under the most trying of circumstances, he shined under O’Brien, throwing for 24 TDs with just five interceptions on the way to an 8-4 record in a season that some doubted would ever come to fruition for the Nittany Lions.

Back in Happy Valley once again, McGloin, who works as a financial advisor in State College, and Lynn are still close — and that includes their growing young families. There’s no one in the Penn State family who knows Lynn better. Or is more in on Lynn as the PSU DC. McGloin, of all people, should know.

“D’Anton doesn’t just coach football,” McGloin told me. “He embodies what Penn State football is built on. Toughness, accountability, pride in the tradition. He gets it because he’s lived it. That’s exactly the kind of presence this program needs right now.

“This isn’t a reset. It’s a return to what this place is supposed to be.”