Penn State coordinators discuss variety of topics during bowl media day

Penn State head coach James Franklin wasn’t the only member of the coaching staff to meet with the media Friday.

Throughout the season, Penn State provides access to one assistant coach every Thursday. Because of that, it’s not often that we get to speak with the coordinators. Of course, former defensive coordinator Brent Pry is now the head coach at Virginia Tech, which means a lot has changed in recent weeks.

The biggest news took place last Saturday when former Miami head coach Manny Diaz was announced as Pry’s replacement. Friday was our first opportunity to speak with Diaz, and as expected, it’s been a wild couple of weeks for he and his family.

Related: Three takeaways from Manny Diaz’s press conference

But Diaz won’t be the one calling the defense for Penn State in the Outback Bowl, which takes place in 15 days from now. That’ll be done by co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter. He, too, made headlines since the season ended. At one point, Poindexter was expected to be the new head coach at Virginia, his alma mater. The College Football Hall of Famer ultimately stayed at Penn State, but that topic was discussed at length Friday.

We were also given access to Mike Yurcich, who’s always an interesting interview. Following Wednesday’s signing day, Yurcich discussed the signings of Beau Pribula and Drew Allar. Of course, Sean Clifford is also expected to return, so he hit on that and the overall 2021 season as a whole.

Penn State fans can watch all three press conferences below.

Manny Diaz

Mike Yurcich

Anthony Poindexter

Bowl Media Day Coverage

Penn State having “ongoing conversations” about roster before Outback Bowl; interim defensive coordinator pick is in

James Franklin’s Outback Bowl Media Day press conference

Penn State QB Sean Clifford explains his decision to return for 2022