Penn State coaching staff updates: New defensive line coach and more

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Penn State has its hands full with the transfer portal season opening up, but there is also the task of filling the coaching staff for new head coach Matt Campbell. One staff position of need appears set to be filled as UCLA defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe will reportedly join the Penn State staff to fill the defensive line coach role.

Malloe seems to have confirmed the news with an updated profile picture on his social media account. According to his bio, Malloe will be the Penn State defensive line coach and run game coordinator.

The addition of Malloe will reunite the former UCLA coordinator with incoming Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. When Lynn was a defensive coordinator for UCLA, Malloe served as a defensive line coach. Lynn comes to Penn State to fill the role previously filled by Jim Knowles, who is getting settled in at Tennessee for his next gig.

Speaking of Knowles and Tennessee, the Vols are expected to hire former Penn State defensive backs coach Anthony Poindexter. Poindexter ended his run at Penn State by calling the defensive plays in the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson but was likely to be on the move this offseason. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports Poindexter will coach the defensive backs for Tennessee.

Another former Penn State assistant coach seems to have found a landing spot as well. Marques Hagans, who had been Penn State’s wide receivers coach Marques Hagans is staying in the Big Ten as a receivers coach with the Michigan Wolverines. As noted by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Hagans will be back on the same staff as Michigan’s offensive coordinator, Jason Beck. The two worked together at Virginia. Michigan recently hired former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to take over the program following the dismissal of Sherrone Moore amid controversy off the field.

Penn State previously announced the hiring of Noah Pauley to be the team’s wide receivers coach. Pauley comes to Penn State from Iowa State, where he filled the same role for Campbell.

As of now, Penn State has a couple of coaching staff roles to fill. Penn State still needs a running backs coach and a linebackers coach. Dan Connor is still a possibility to remain on the staff to coach the linebackers.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Updates on Penn State football coaching staff, defensive line coach

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos