P.J. Mustipher advocates for Deion Barnes in Penn State coaching vacancy
After maxing out his time as a graduate assistant for three years at Penn State, the program managed to keep Deion Barnes on staff as an analyst coordinator in January. A frequently cited positive influence on current players and prospects, his rising star sticking with the Nittany Lions was considered a big win.
In the time since, defensive line coach John Scott departed for the same position with the NFL’s Detroit Lions, reported on Monday this week. And, with a vacancy to be filled for head coach James Franklin, defensive tackle and aspiring NFL draftee P.J. Mustipher has no hesitation in wanting to see Barnes named as Scott’s replacement.
“I want Coach Franklin to hire him,” Mustipher told reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday. “I think he should because he’s put in a lot of work in our defensive line.”
Deion Barnes climb at Penn State
A steady presence with the Nittany Lions for the majority of Mustipher’s five-year tenure, Barnes spent the past three years handling a variety of responsibilities as a graduate assistant.
Though he worked directly with Scott, opening the door to providing input and coaching help to players, Barnes handled everything from helping with on-campus recruiting tasks, quality control, charting plays, and much more.
Only releasing one public comment since Scott’s departure from the program was reported on Monday evening, thanking the assistant for his contributions to Penn State for the past three years, Franklin has not offered any insight into the hiring process for the position’s replacement.
But, as detailed by Mustipher, the person for the role will have big shoes to fill. Mustipher said he enjoyed his experience with Scott, particularly in light of his preparation to embark on an NFL career.
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“He helped me out a lot,” Mustipher said. “Having that knowledge from the NFL. I have a leg up because I understand what defensive line coaches are looking for in college and when I transition to the NFL. So he’s not only helped me a lot in the past, but I’m gonna continue to lean on him.”
Next steps
In Barnes, Mustipher would go on to say, that presence can exist for Penn State’s next crop of defensive linemen.
Having crafted his game through countless hours of work, much of that was done accompanied by Barnes. Molded by that influence, the result is an opportunity Mustipher is now working to maximize at the NFL Combine.
“Deion and Coach Scott, that tandem was phenomenal,” Mustipher said. “But, I spent a lot of time in the offseason with Deion, just working on a lot of different stuff. My footwork, my hands, eyes, technique, all that.
“He’s really hard on me. We spend a lot of hours watching film. And he spent a lot of time correcting me. Whether he was cussing me out or telling me how bad I played in the game and stuff like that. All that has helped me get to where I’m at.”
