Penn State football, focused on finalizing analytics staff, posts new job
Penn State football coach James Franklin has not been shy about expanding his off-field support staff over the last couple of years. The Nittany Lions now have numerous analysts on staff and a number of people in their recruiting department.
This year’s contingent of analysts is not yet filled out, however. One reason for that is Deion Barnes’ promotion from analytics coordinator to defensive line coach. However, other currently open spots are tied to earlier departures following the 2022 season.
All told, though, more additions are likely for the analytics staff. Penn State is working on finalizing that group as spring practice continues.
“We’ve lost some guys that we haven’t filled yet, and typically they would have been filled,” Franklin said Tuesday night. “But my focus was on hiring d-line coach and [that] went longer than anticipated. So we still have some positions open. Then, we also have some flexibility just based on the guys that we hire and what their contract situation is like.
“We could add a few more. We’ll see how that plays out on. There are some guys that we’re in conversations with, some guys that we’re going to invite up to spring ball, [and] some guys that were waiting to see if they were going to get picked up and hired in the NFL or so on and so forth. So there could be a few more guys still added to the roster.”
At least one more will be, according to a recent university job posting.
Penn State has a new job posting up
A new posting on the university’s jobs page signaled Thursday that Penn State is seeking to fill a role in the analysts’ department. The progam is looking for a “Defensive Analyst and Analytics Coordinator” according to the website. Among a variety of tasks, the chosen person will self-scout the Lions’ practices and games, break down tapes of opponents, and work on compiling data to distribute to coaches.
It’s one of two analysts jobs posted on the page. The other has been there for more than a month. Which, based on Franklin’s comments above, makes sense.
What do analysts do?
This is a fair and reasonable question that is very difficult to answer specifically. That’s because every analyst’s role can be different based on their experiences, background, and skillset.
“In terms of what they are able to do, it’s all the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Franklin said. “It’s hard for me to answer that question specifically. Because, it’s not like you lose someone and you take that next person and just plug them in. It’s based on their experience.
“So like what [former Penn State and current Alabama off-field staffer Ken Whisenhunt] was able to do and what [former analyst] Coach [Danny] Rocco was able to do was based on their experience as head coaches as well as defensive or offensive coaches. “So depending on who you hire, you’re making your decision based on their job description and their responsibilities to take advantage of their skills.”
