Last January D'Anton Lynn received the opportunity to trade his defensive coordinator position with the Trojans to lead the defense at his alma mater, Penn State. But Lynn turned down the University of Pennsylvania, and USCin turn, gave his rising star to his coach significant increase.
Now, less than a year later, having received the same offer, Lynn decided to change course.
Lynn is leaving USC after two seasons to become defensive coordinator at Penn State under new coach Matt Campbell, a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to speak on the matter told The Times.
What has changed in the 11 months between the two proposals, other than new leadership at Penn State, remains unclear. The Nittany Lions entered last season as presumptive national title contenders before bottoming out in the first half of the season under James Franklin, who was fired in October. Campbell was hired earlier this month, but his ties to Lynn are unknown.
At USC, Lynn made an impressive turnaround in a Trojan defense that had completely disintegrated under previous coordinator Alex Grinch. Last season under Lynn, USC gave up 10 fewer points per game, moving from 121st in the country (34.4 points per game) to a respectable 56th (24.1). The defense has improved significantly against the run, allowing nearly 50 fewer yards per game and allowing an average of three fewer yards per play against the tackle.
But in his second season as a coordinator, progress was less noticeable. USC scored fewer points per game during the 2025 regular season, but particularly struggled to stop the streak and prevent big plays. These problems were particularly evident in USC's road losses in Illinois, Our Lady And Oregon.
However, when the head coaching position at UCLA opened in September, Lynn, who had previously led the Bruins defensewas considered as a potential candidate for this position. After being waived by the Nittany Lions in January, many believed Lynn's next logical step would be to head to the NFL, where he spent his entire coaching career before joining UCLA.
His departure leaves USC looking for its third defensive coordinator in four years.
