ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported Monday night that Penn State Football is hiring former Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Justin Lustig to the same position at Penn State.

Justin Lustig said he always kept tabs on Penn State, regardless of where he was working. Mentions some of the PA ties and what this job means to him pic.twitter.com/HQCgaw2rMz

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) February 13, 2024

In addition to special teams duties, Lustig coached tight ends and had the title “associate head coach” since the 2022 season.

Before coaching at Vanderbilt, Lustig was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Syracuse, where he was a Broyles Award nominee in the 2018 season.

Lustig is a Pennsylvania native and was a four-year starter at Bucknell University. He also was the head coach at Division II Edinboro University before coaching at Syracuse.

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How Justin Lustig Elevates Penn State Football

In recent seasons, Penn State Football has extended its recruiting footprint into SEC country, pulling several top prospects from outside the Nittany Lions’ traditional footholds.

Certainly, playing a home-and-home against Auburn helped gain exposure for the program, but Penn State adding a coordinator with ties to the recruiting hotbed could pay significant dividends.

With Pennsylvania ties, an SEC recruiting background, and a reputation for exceptional special teams, Lustig should be a fantastic hire for James Franklin.

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