Penn State analyst Dan Connor is loving and thriving in his new role with the Lions

Dan Connor took little time to transition from his playing days to his coaching ones. The ‘Linebacker U’ legend wrapped up his time at Penn State in 2008. His time in the pros ended in 2013. A year later, he was the linebackers coach at West Chester. A two-year stint as the head coach at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa., followed. Then, he spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Division-III Pa., college Widener.

At each of those stops, Connor would teach on the practice field and wear a headset on game days while communicating instructions on the sideline. He traded all of that in for a chance to return to his alma mater as an off-field analyst in 2022. While many thought he’d get to go back to instructing in 2023, a rule change to allow analysts to perform coaching duties unexpectedly did not pass.

Connor, a key part of the Lions’ off-field staff in 2022 and 2023, patiently waited for the rule to maybe pass in 2024. It did, and now he’s back to doing what he feels most comfortable doing on a coaching staff, and he’s having big impact on the Penn State defense in 2024. He is the de-facto linebackers coach and also the game-day in-helmet communicator with either middle linebacker Kobe King or whoever has the ‘green dot’ helmet on the field.

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“When I first got here in 2022, a lot of my stuff was in the office stuff, game plan type stuff, building, teaching stuff for the linebackers, helping Coach [Manny] Diaz build his slides for the installs and stuff like that,” Connor said Thursday. “Then the second year, still couldn’t coach on the field, but [his role] continued to grow. And then this past year, with that rule change, it’s been a huge change being able to run the room, coach on the field, [have a] headset on game day.

“All that stuff is kind of what I’m used to. This is my [11th year] coaching. It’s what I feel most comfortable doing. So it’s been good to get back on the field and coach the guys up.”

Worth the wait

Connor did not need to be asked why he waited around for an on-field opportunity at his alma mater when he surely could have found one elsewhere sooner. He loves Penn State. A two-time All-American, the 2007 Chuck Bedarik Award winner, and multi-time All-Big Ten pick as a player, he wanted to provide to the next generation what his coaches provided to him. And, so, he patiently waited for the rule to change while doing everything he could to help the Lions.

Blue-White Illustrated subscribers can read Connor’s full Q&A here!

“It’s a great place to live,” Connor said. “My family, they love it. Kids love it. And then giving back to the program. I mentioned this before, but when you’re a player, you’re a taker. You’re taking all the coaching, the support and everything.

“Being able to come back on the other side where, now, I can have an effect on these players lives, on and off the field, and give back to a program that meant so much to me. My career, my development as an adult, it pretty much defined who I am right now. Being able to give back to Penn State, and then have an effect on the players, it’s been unbelievable. The transition was easy, was smooth a couple of years ago, and there are no complaints. It’s really been unbelievable for me.”

Connor has a direct impact on game day for Penn State

Another rule change for the 2024 season allows one staff member to communicate with one player on offense or defense until either the ball is snapped or until there are 15 seconds left on the play clock. Penn State had first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen in that role for the first couple of games. Then, for a variety of reasons, it put Connor in that role. It has seemingly worked to perfection.

“Coach Allen has done a great job gaining the trust of the defense and being willing to adapt to our verbiage, and some of the things players and coaches are comfortable doing,” Connor said. “It was very encouraging to me for him to have the confidence in me to have the communication with the MIKE linebacker on game day. It’s really changed college football.

“For me to communicate prior to a play with your MIKE linebacker is a huge advantage. Looking through the last two years, the notes and grades, and the mental errors over the last two years compared to this year are night and day because I’m in Kobe’s ear and can almost play it like a video game to help. It’s been a huge advantage, and a vote of confidence from Coach Allen meant a lot to me. It’s been going good, and smooth, definitely from a mental aspect.”

Final word

Connor once told a reporter that he wanted to be a defensive coordinator one day. Is that still the case? Maybe, but at least for now, he’s happy with where he’s at: Helping Penn State in any way he can.

“Yeah, it’s probably changed,” Connor said with a laugh and a grin. “I’m happy with what I have going now. I don’t know if I need more responsibilities.”