Penn State's 3 New Coordinators Offer Insight Into Training Camp

Tom Allen, Andy Kotelnicki and Justin Lustig spotlight their position groups as first-year coordinators with the Nittany Lions.

Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen gestures during a warmup practice prior to the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State football coach James Franklin hired three new coordinators this offseason, though he maintains the transition hasn't been as disruptive as fans might expect. Franklin replaced only one voluntarily; he fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich with two games left in the 2023 regular season and hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas. Then following the season, Franklin filled defensive coordinator Manny Diaz's departure with a fellow Big Ten head coach Tom Allen and replaced special teams coordinator Stacy Collins (who returned to Boise State) with Vanderbilt's Justin Lustig.

As Franklin has said often ahead of the 2024 season, and repeated again Saturday at the program's media day, "We are really not in a position in year 11 to in the program to start all over. We have not done that."

Kotelnicki, Allen and Lustig each joined the media day festivities at Beaver Stadium, going through some highlights of their groups. Here's a sampling of their top observations.

RELATED: What we learned about the Nittany Lions at Media Day

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki

QUESTION: What is the process and importance of getting the ball into the hands of the team’s best
players and why did it happen less last year?

KOTELNICKI: I can’t speak to the past as much, I’m not as familiar with the process. I can speak a little bit about the process to get the ball to the best players. I think first, the most important step is identifying them. Sometimes they are very clear cut: ‘Hey, this is a dude.’ Other times, reps in practice and things of that nature start to reveal those things a little bit. So, the identification process is important.

How we practice, the number of reps that we get allow us to feel really good about it. We challenge our guys in the evaluation process, as a matter of fact, when they ask how they get on the field, the first thing is to be able to consistently do what we do out in practice. If you can do things over and over again, that’s the best indicator of how we do it. So, it starts with the identification. We figure out who those players are and what their skillsets are. What are their capabilities? What are their limitations?

Then we put them in a position to do what they’re capable of. And I know that sounds like a ‘Hey, thanks.’ But those are really critical steps. You have to reflect on a daily basis on what that looks like within your offense. Then holistically speaking, you have to make sure that however you identify those best players, maybe it’s a running back, quarterback, tight end, whoever it is: OK, what parts of our offense need to grow and expand because this person is going to need more touches?

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki listens to a question from a reporter during an interview in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville/USA Today Network - PA / USA TODAY NETWORK

QUESTION: What have you liked out of the receivers so far, and what do you want to see from them
throughout the rest of camp?

KOTELNICKI: They had a great practice the other day. I liked their competitiveness. We’ve kind of talked as an offense, even this morning, about what it looks like to compete out there. You need to have someone at wide receiver who has the ability to dictate the depth and width of routes. Going to take the ball, not having those things dictated to you, not having a defensive back tell you where the route has to be run and how wide or how deep, but to push and fight with the physicality that you need to have happen.

Even within route running, with our defense, we have a great secondary, and as aggressive as they’re coached to play, I’ve seen our receivers go out there and match that. I’ve seen those things. I’ve seen their commitment throughout the spring and summer to develop their trade and their craft. I’m
excited for that group as we go into the fall.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen

QUESTION: James [Franklin] talked a little bit about how this season could potentially go 17 games. With your high-energy style of coaching, how do you think that fits into what could end up being a
longer season?

ALLEN: There’s a consistency that you must have. You can’t grow weary of doing the little things
the right way, every day over and over and over again. I like to say, “embracing the boredom of consistency,” whatever that might look like whether that's fundamental work or how you bring your energy every day. To me, it doesn't matter how many games we play. I'm going to bring that same energy and intensity every single week. I do think in terms of how we practice and how we prepare our team, you have to understand the big picture of it all and understand where you're at as a coach and how you bring that.

I'm not necessarily expecting the guys to be on an emotional high every day of practice, they have to learn how to just be consistently good every single day. When your body feels a certain way and then your body doesn't feel a certain way. So, it's more about your mindset and how you are thinking and not how you are feeling. To me, that's really the approach I take. We have to be consistent and, to me, no matter who we play, no matter what week of the season there has to be a standard of expectation that this is how Penn State plays defense, period, no matter the game, not matter the week of the season, no matter what circumstances.

Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen answers a question from a reporter during an interview in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville/USA Today Network - PA / USA TODAY NETWORK

QUESTION: James said there are six or seven cornerbacks he would feel comfortable playing right
now. For you, how have you seen that room come along and what’s your philosophy on rotating players and using multiple cornerbacks in one spot during a game?

ALLEN: It was a position when I was first hired that we were concerned about, losing three guys
from that position to the NFL, there is an obvious hole to fill. I knew we had some talented young players. I just didn't know they were going to develop. That became a major focus. Obviously, brought in two transfers mid-year that have turned out to be tremendous assets to our program in so many different ways. That room was one of our question marks and has now turned into possibly one of strengths on our whole defense. I love having that depth there. You think about the way the game is played now and the way we want to be able to play guys that can cover and do multiple things, not just in man but also in a lot of different zone principles we want to be able to implement as well, so that depth at that position is critical.

I'm a big believer in playing lots of guys. I’ve been that way my whole career and want to have a good rotation, so you're able to be at your very best at the end of the game. Now also be that way at the end of the season, which could be a very long season, that’s the expectation that it’s going to be a very long season. I think the more guys you can play, the more depth you're going to create. Whether it's third down package, second pass packages that we have, guys that can cover guys that can tackle. That’s one thing [cornerbacks] coach Terry Smith has done a phenomenal job is, building a room full of guys that have the traits you’re looking for. The speed, the twitch, the abilities to make plays in space defensively, to tackle, to have a physical mental toughness to them that, that group
has. I’m super excited about that group and excited to play a lot of them.

Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig

QUESTION: How do you see [Tulsa transfer kicker] Chase [Meyer] handling the offseason in its entirety? How would you describe the [kicking] competition to us now?

LUSTIG: We’re in a really good spot right now. I'm pleased with the first two days of camp. Those
three guys [Meyer, Sander Sahaydak and Ryan Barker] are really competing, and Chase is right there with them. He's found his groove. The spring was a little bit of a transition for him. He's dealing with some minor injuries. We've got a good problem right now in that room and we just need them to continue with their consistency through camp and we'll see what happens in the next couple of days.

Penn State special teams coordinator Justin Lustig answers a question from a reporter during an interview in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville/USA Today Network - PA / USA TODAY NETWORK

QUESTION: What can you say about your options at punt returner?

LUSTIG: I would say Kaden Saunders right now is the clear leader in the clubhouse. We showed the team and staff the other day that there were 199 muffed punts in college football last year, so it starts with catching the football. It starts with having a range and not allowing the ball to bounce down the field. Kaden gives us both of those and I don't mean to discredit his playmaking ability, but he is solid as can be in those first two areas so he's in clear leader right now. However, we've got some names that pop out there working back there. Anthony Ivey, Quinton Martin Jr. and Josiah Brown some of the younger guys, Tyseer Denmark, all that have the potential to be dynamic back there as well so again a lot of depth but right now the veteran back there is how we feel is the best move right now.

More Penn State Football

What James Franklin had to say at media day

Two Penn State defensive players no longer with the program

Freshmen to watch in 2024? The Nittany Lions have a few

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