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Penn State

Penn State adds coordinator from 2025 non-conference foe in analyst role

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•06/03/25•

GregPickel

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Penn State cheerleaders (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State football has raided the staff of a 2025 non-conference foe to fill one of its open staff positions. Former Villanova special teams coordinator and safeties coach Matthew Colangelo is now a special teams analyst in State College. He joined the Nittany Lions following spring practice and is the second addition in that department this offseason. The program also added former Troy special teams analyst and de-facto coordinator Allen Tucker in May. There was one departure, as assistant special teams coordinator Keith Bruno left after spring practices concluded.

Colangelo, who is a Cromwell, Conn., native, joins Tucker and assistant specialist coach Eric Sachse as support staffers under coordinator Justin Lustig. Colangelo has spent much of his coaching career with the Wildcats, but has also coached at Yale. He just finished his third season as the special teams coordinator for head coach Mark Ferrante

“The primary recruiting territory for Colangelo consists of New England, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont,” his Villanova bio says. “He also recruits several of the local high schools.

“Colangelo coached three players who earned CAA Football All-Conference honors for the 2023 season, including strong safety Ty Trinh who had his best collegiate season to date and garnered his first career All-CAA nod as a second team selection. Trinh made 46 tackles a season ago, including three tackles for loss, and defended six passes with five breakups and one interception.”

Penn State hosts Villanova on Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm ET. FS1 will televise it.

Tracking Penn State offseason staff changes

Colangelo is the latest Penn State staff addition this offseason. But, he’s hardly the first one. And, there is still at least one spot to fill after Director of External Operations Destiny Rodriguez left for a role with the New York Jets last week.

Here’s a closer look at the other changes:

Tom Allen left for Clemson and Jim Knowles replaced him as the Lions’ defensive coordinator

Ja’Juan Seider left for Notre Dame. Penn State made Stan Drayton its new running backs coach. 

Offensive line analyst Frank Leonard retired

Penn State hired Andrew Jackson and letterman Greg Gattuso as analysts focusing on the defensive line

Knowles brought with him two former colleagues, Shane Eachus and Brent Zdebski, with him in analyst roles

Special teams analyst Keith Bruno left the Lions after spring ball. Allen Tucker replaced him

Nittany Lion letterman Aeneas Hawkins is the team’s new Assistant Director of Player Advancement & Revenue Sharing Strategy.

Former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley is back as the assistant quarterbacks coach.

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