Defensive Line Coach John Scott Jr. Leaving Penn State For NFL Gig

In a move first reported by Jon Sauber of the CDT, Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr. is headed to the NFL after taking a job (specific role still TBA) with the Detroit Lions. James Franklin confirmed the news Monday night, sending out this goodbye tweet.

While the timing is a little later than some might have expected, Scott Jr’s departure doesn’t come as a total surprise. Like a lot of coaches, he’s had a largely nomadic career, only staying in one place for three years at most. This coming season, 2023, would have been Scott Jr’s fourth at Penn State, so in the ever-changing coaching world, the clock was ticking for Scott Jr’s tenure in Happy Valley.

For the Nittany Lions, the focus now switches to who will replace Scott Jr. We’ll have some names in a Big Board in the coming days, but the usual suspects — Elijah Robinson and Andrew Jackson — should certainly factor into this search as well.