2 8 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2
W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M
With an emphasis on sacks and negative-
yardage tackles, first-year coordinator
Manny Diaz has put his stamp on the
Nittany Lions' defense
T
wo-time All-America linebacker Dan Connor returned to
Penn State during the past offseason as a staff member.
The Nittany Lions' record-holder for tackles, Connor
made 419 stops during his career.
These days, he works closely with coordinator Manny Diaz,
helping to prepare the defense each week as an analyst. He
deeply understands the appeal of the system that Diaz has
implemented, which is ripe with opportunities for playmaking
and production. With his college career having ended in 2007,
he's forced to enjoy it vicariously — but he enjoys it nonethe-
less.
NAT E BAU E R | NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM
Loss
Leader
Under Diaz's direction, Penn State allowed 18.0 points per game during
the regular season to rank ninth in the FBS. Heading into bowl season, the
Nittany Lions lead the conference in sacks with 37.
PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE