Nittany Lions cannot waste coaching staff this year

This is the best overall coaching staff James Franklin has had during his Penn State tenure, and there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic that the guys he’s surrounded himself with can help the program reach the next level.

But it may need to happen this year, before one extremely vital member of the staff departs.

Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was a phenomenal hire by Franklin after Brent Pry left to become head coach at Virginia Tech. With all due respect to Pry, who did excellent work, Diaz just brings a different level of aggressiveness and ingenuity to the defense.

I’ve long said that Joe Moorhead was the best hire Franklin has ever made. Because it was Moorhead’s offense and new way of thinking that enabled the Nittany Lions to enjoy a remarkable resurgence in 2016.

I believe Diaz is the second-best hire Franklin has made, and in this his second season, it very well could be Diaz’s defense that leads PSU to its first College Football Playoff berth.

If it doesn’t happen this year, then Penn State may have missed a golden opportunity, because Diaz could and probably should be gone next year. He’s already been a major college head coach, doing well but apparently not well enough at Miami, since he was fired there.

But Diaz fits everything you want in a modern-day college head coach, and he will get another fantastic opportunity very soon. Most likely after this season, as long as Penn State plays up to expectations.

Then there’s offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. I was very critical of him after the offense struggled mightily in 2021, but Yurcich proved last year that, if you give him enough pieces, he can do great things.

Penn State’s streak of scoring at least 30 points is at nine games, the longest in the nation.

Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein now has good players and has proven he knows how to coach them up. He’s also a tremendous recruiter.

The best recruiter on the staff is running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider, who is also one of the best in the nation. Plus he’s an excellent position coach.

I’ve long said cornerbacks coach Terry Smith is one of the most valuable members of the staff, both for his coaching and recruiting.

There are other very good coaches, including co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter. I’m not yet sold on defensive line coach Deion Barnes, a popular hire because players like him, but he’s got to prove he’ll be up to the challenge going up against the likes of Ohio State counterpart Larry Johnson.

Franklin is a magnificent college football CEO and handles all aspects of that very difficult job extremely well. But he has never been a great gameday coach.

What Franklin needs is a whole bunch of outstanding coaches around him to perform their jobs at a high level and to make great decisions during tight games.

He’s got that with this staff.

Penn State also has a whole bunch of very good players.

You put all of that together, and it’s easy to see why expectations are so high for this team.

Cory Giger covers Penn State for DK Pittsburgh Sports and hosts “Sports Central” weekdays from 4 to 5 p.m. on 96.1 HANK FM.