Penn State Set to Make Special Teams Coordinator Hire, Per Report

Penn State is reportedly set to hire Vanderbilt special teams/tight ends coach and associate head coach Justin Lustig as the Nittany Lions’ new special teams coordinator, according to the 247 Sports Network.

Lustig had spent the previous three seasons at Vanderbilt. Lustig — who was born in Erie and played collegiately at Bucknell not far down the road from State College — would replace now former special teams coordinator Stacy Collins, who is set to rejoin Boise State.

Over the course of his coaching career, Lustig worked with the 2018 Lou Groza Award (given to the nation’s top placekicker) recipient, Andre Szmyt, 2023 Ray Guy Award (nation’s best punter) finalist Matthew Hayball and two-time All-SEC long snapper Wesley Schelling. While at Vanderbilt the past two season the Commodores ranked 41st and 44th, respectively, in ESPN’s Special Teams Efficiency after falling outside the Top 100 the season prior to his arrival.

Prioir to his time at Vanderbilt, Lustig spent four seasons at Syracuse, where he was a finalist for the Broyles Award given to the nation’s top assistant in 2018, coaching special teams while also holding various responsibilities with running backs and outside receivers. He also spent five seasons at Ball State in the special teams coordinator role, and spent one season at Villanova in 2003.

Lustig would be the third coordinator hire in the past two months for James Franklin. After moving on from offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in November, Penn State hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas. Following defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s departure to be Duke’s next head coach, Franklin brought on former Indiana head coach Tom Allen to fill the role.