Michigan State Football: 3 potential defensive coordinator candidates

2. D’Anton Lynn

D’Anton Lynn is currently the defensive coordinator at UCLA. How long he’ll have that position is anyone’s guess. More than likely, Chip Kelly will be fired and when that happens, the staff is usually let go as well.

UCLA was 16th in points per game this year (albeit getting an easy schedule that did not include Oregon or Washington) and held a ranked Utah team to 14 points and USC to 20 points. He also had the Bruins fourth in the nation with 41 sacks. I know we complained about MSU’s secondary, and rightly so, but a pass rush helps the rest of the defense whether it is the physical act of bringing down the quarterback while he has the ball, or just getting pressure, leading to off-balance throws that are more susceptible to interceptions.

Lynn’s connection to the Midwest? He played four years at Penn State from 2008-11. While he only reached the practice squad for one year with the Jets, the team thought enough of him to bring him back on as a seasonal intern in 2014. From there, he became a defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens (a year-in-year-out defensive powerhouse), then became a secondary coach for the Texans, then returning the the Ravens as a safeties coach.

He’s well-traveled with a ton of NFL ties and experience.