ALTOONA, Pa. -- A prominent former Penn State football player who comes from a coaching family has landed a lucrative job with a team that's getting ready to join the Big Ten.
D'Anton Lynn is expected to be named the new defensive coordinator at UCLA, according to published reports Wednesday night.
Lynn played cornerback for Penn State from 2008-11. He was a three-year starter in the defensive backfield and was a key member of the Nittany Lions' team that went to a Rose Bowl in 2008 and won the Capital One Bowl the following season.
Lynn is the son of former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who is currently assistant head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
D'Anton Lynn spent two seasons as a practice squad member in the NFL before beginning his coaching career in 2014 as an intern with the New York Jets. He was a defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills and Chargers for three seasons, then secondary coach for the Houston Texans for three seasons.
Lynn has spent the past two seasons as safeties coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
The UCLA job will be his first at the collegiate level.
UCLA, of course, is getting set to join the Big Ten in 2024, along with USC. So, when the Bruins play Penn State, Lynn would become one of the rare former Penn State players who comes back to coach against the Nittany Lions.
This is a snippet about Lynn's history from his old Penn State bio page:
Football has been a big part of D'Anton Lynn's life since he was a child growing up in a state rich with gridiron talent. One of three Nittany Lion returnees from Texas, Lynn is following in the footsteps of his father by establishing himself as a standout football player. His father, Anthony Lynn, was an All-Southwest Conference running back at Texas Tech, captured two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos and is in his third season as the running backs coach for the New York Jets.