Overview
- Multiple outlets on Dec. 29 reported that Lynn informed USC he will accept the defensive coordinator job at Penn State under first-year head coach Matt Campbell.
- He plans to remain on USC’s sideline for Tuesday’s Alamo Bowl against TCU and then depart for State College.
- Lynn returns to his alma mater after declining a Penn State overture last January and receiving a pay raise to stay at USC.
- His track record features nine NFL seasons and swift defensive upgrades at UCLA and USC, including cutting the Trojans’ points allowed by about 10–12 per game and lifting national rankings into the 40s–50s.
- He replaces Jim Knowles, who left for Tennessee, marking Penn State’s fourth defensive coordinator in four years, while USC enters another search for its third DC in four seasons.