How Penn State's New Coaching Tandem is Energizing the Defensive Line
John Scott Jr. had been at Penn State for barely a month when he went into quarantine and began coaching his defensive linemen from a laptop. Considering the circumstances, though, Scott said he couldn't be more pleased.
“It’s been different than taking over any job that I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.
Football coaches are comfortable with hasty farewells and speedy introductions, but Scott was forced to adapt further than most. Hired as Penn State’s defensive line coach in early February, Scott spent a few weeks with his players before the campus closed and his linemen departed. That disrupted an important get-to-know-you period for a group that had been so devoted to their previous coach, Sean Spencer.
But Scott, a coaching veteran who spent last season at South Carolina, brought two important relationships with him to Penn State. He and Spencer, now with the New York Giants, have been coaching friends for years, and Scott tapped Spencer for insight both during and after the interview process.
More important, though, was Scott’s history with Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry. Scott played defensive line for Pry at Western Carolina in 1998, became his graduate assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2002 and worked with Pry at Georgia Southern in 2010. So when Spencer left for the NFL, Pry knew immediately whom to call.
“John is certainly going to bring in some fresh ideas,” Pry said. “He’s been around some very good football coaches. He’s already impacted our unit that way.”
Scott has a variety of coaching experience, having worked in the SEC the past three years (at South Carolina and Arkansas) and in the NFL for the New York Jets prior to that. He’s a technical coach who spent much of his detached spring gauging film of Penn State’s defensive linemen.
Pry called Scott a great teacher who has been embraced in his limited in-person time around the staff and players. He also brings a personality change from Spencer, as does graduate assistant Deion Barnes, a former Penn State defensive end who works closely with Scott in coaching the line.
"Of course we miss [Spencer]. His energy was infectious," Pry said. "I will tell you that Deion Barnes, having played for Spence, and John Scott, having played for me, are high-energy guys, and we won't be lacking in that area. I don't know if they'll wear as much gold or have as many tattoos, but they're going to bring the juice."
Penn State graduate assistant Deion Barnes
Scott was an all-conference defensive end at Western Carolina, where Pry was his position coach for a season. After college, he pursued a professional career, playing in Canada and the arena leagues, before turning to teaching and coaching.
The first part (Scott taught high school English) didn’t resonate, but coaching did. He reached out to Pry at Louisiana-Lafayette, getting his college career started as a graduate assistant in 2002.
“Coach Pry and I are like family,” Scott said. “I’ve known him for 21 years of my life, and he’s a big reason why I decided to get into coaching. I enjoyed the way he coached me with his energy, his passion, his knowledge of the game. I said, ‘Man, if he can impact me like that in a year, that’s what I want to be able to do: impact young men.'”
Though Pry delivered the bridge to Penn State, Scott said head coach James Franklin sealed his decision. Scott made professional visits to Vanderbilt, where he marveled at Franklin’s ability to produce nine-win seasons in the SEC.
Penn State’s legacy as one of the “true blue bloods of college football” certainly influenced Scott, but Franklin’s impact was as significant.
“Just getting to know coach Franklin, what kind of leader he is, how he treats his guys and how he cares about his players and his coaches and how he’s won,” Scott said. “That made it a very attractive job.”
Spencer remains beloved at Penn State, where he branded the defensive linemen as the "Wild Dogs." Defensive end Jayson Oweh said he's still tight with Spencer, asking for tips from his perch as the New York Giants' defensive line coach.
But Scott and Barnes quickly have made the room their own.
"Coach Scott, that's my guy, that's my dog," Oweh said. "He's already made a good impression on us, with just the information and knowledge he's able to teach about the game. He's teaching in a different way. And we have Deion Barnes as well. It's just like a great tandem. ... So I feel like we're in a great, great spot in terms of coaching."
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