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<p>Penn State players gradually returned to campus Sunday to start a new semester. They arrive with two new lieutenants leading the program under James Franklin.</p><p>Joe Moorhead, who was hired in December, takes over as offensive coordinator. His defensive counterpart, Penn State announced Sunday, will be Brent Pry.</p><p>Franklin promoted Pry from linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator to the full job. He replaces Bob Shoop, who is set to head to Tennessee to run the Volunteers&#8217; defense instead.</p><p>&#8220;I am very honored and appreciative of the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator at Penn State,&#8221; Pry said in a school release. &#8220;I am excited about the future of this program and this defense.</p><p>&#8220;There has been a lot of work put in these first two years by a very loyal group of players, coaches and staff. I&#8217;m looking forward to the successes that lie ahead for our football family.&#8221;</p><p>In addition, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has been given the title of assistant head coach and defensive line coach Sean Spencer will serve as run game coordinator for the defense.</p><p>It will be Pry&#8217;s third stint as a defensive coordinator, following runs with Louisiana-Lafayette (2002-06) and Georgia Southern (2010).</p><p>Pry and Franklin have known each other for more than 20 years, as Pry started his coaching career at East Stroudsburg in 1993 and 1994, when Franklin was the team&#8217;s quarterback. His father, Jim Pry, was the offensive coordinator at the time.</p><p>When Franklin got his first head coaching job at Vanderbilt in 2011, he immediately brought Brent Pry aboard as his linebackers coach, also naming him co-defensive coordinator next to Shoop. In 2013, he added assistant head coach to his resume and kept all of those titles when he followed Franklin to Penn State in 2014.</p><p>&#8220;Brent has had a dramatic impact on our defense and our team for the last five years and he is very deserving of this opportunity to move into the defensive coordinator position,&#8221; Franklin said. &#8220;Brent&#8217;s promotion will help make this a smooth transition and allow us to continue to build one of the top defenses in the country.&#8221;</p><p>Ironically, it looked like Pry might be the assistant bolting Happy Valley just a few weeks ago. His name came up as a finalist for the Georgia Southern head coaching job in December for the second time in three years.</p><p>Shoop&#8217;s departure means that the Lions still have a vacancy on their staff. Pry is still listed as the team&#8217;s linebackers coach, meaning Penn State needs someone coach safeties, a duty that used to fall to Shoop.</p><p>With recruiting season about to pick up and national signing day coming on Feb. 3, the Lions would like to make a hire in the near future.</p><p>On the offensive side of the ball, Penn State made it official on Sunday that Moorhead would be working directly with the quarterbacks. Ricky Rahne, who coached quarterbacks for the past two seasons, is now the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Brent Pry (left) has known Penn State coach James Franklin (center) for more than two decades and will now run the Nittany Lions defense. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_pry2016110154526749.jpg</photo0><caption0>Brent Pry (left) has known Penn State coach James Franklin (center) for more than two decades and will now run the Nittany Lions defense. </caption0><photoCredit0>Joe Hermitt | AP file photo, PennLive </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Linebackers coach promoted to replace Bob Shoop</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Derek Levarse</p><p>dlevarse@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Penn State names Brent Pry new defensive coordinator