Penn State football loses key off-field staff member Ken Whisenhunt to Alabama
Penn State football has lost a key off-field staff member to Alabama. Ken Whisenhunt, who spent multiple seasons in State College as an analyst following a lengthy NFL coaching career, is now listed in the Crimson Tide athletic department’s directory as a special assistant to the head coach.
That head coach, of course, is Nick Saban.
Whisenhunt’s role in State College was never publicly defined, but he was clearly a sounding board for Penn State head coach James Franklin. And, he was often seen near or around the leader of the Lions on game day, especially this past season.
An Augusta, Ga., native, Whisenhunt started his coaching career in 1995 at Vanderbilt. He was the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004-2006 and called plays for the Chargers over two separate stints. Now 60, he also led two pro teams as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2007-2012) and Tennessee Titans (2014-2015).
Family connections likely drew Whisenhunt to Tuscaloosa
Whisenhunt will get to coach alongside a family member at Alabama. His son-in-law, former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, is an offensive analyst on the Crimson Tide staff. It stands to reason that being near his daughter and son-in-law was a major draw in deciding to leave Penn State.
Penn State has off-season of staff changes
Penn State has now lost two analysts to different jobs this offseason. Besides Whisenhunt, Charlie Frye moved on to become the offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic.
The Lions have made additions, though. Letterman Calvin Lowry is back as an analytics coordinator. Fellow alum Deion Barnes is now in that room, too, after maxing out his time as a graduate assistant with the program. A job listing on the Penn State employment site suggests that the program is preparing to hire another analyst who will focus on special teams. Whether that is a new position or merely one that replaces the void left by Whisenhunt was not immediately clear.
Penn State has bulked up its recruiting department so far this offseason, too. D.J. Bryant has joined the program as a recruiting coordinator for personnel after a multi-year stint at Colorado. Khalil Ahmad is a newcomer, too. He joins Franklin’s staff after a stint at Syracuse. The former is known for his strong DMV connections and the latter for his ties in New Jersey.
Last but certainly not least, the on-field staff will be different in 2023, too. Franklin relieved Taylor Stubblefield of his duties in January and then hired longtime Virginia assistant Marques Hagans as his new receivers coach.
