Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/104338
NEWS & NOTES UPWARD CLIMB Butler coached the secondary in his first season with the Lions. John Beale FOOTBALL PSU names Butler defensive coordinator Defensive backs coach tapped by O'Brien to replace outgoing DC Ted Roof Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien called John Butler into his office at the Lasch Building on the morning of Jan. 9 and told the assistant coach that he had been chosen to take over Ted Roof's vacated defensive coordinator position. "Outstanding," Butler said. "Thanks a lot. ... Let's move forward. "What do you need me to do?" Butler is, by all accounts, a determined, motivated, energetic coach. He's also the one who, at times, resembled a team mascot on Penn State's sideline last season, jumping, screaming and generally causing as much of a ruckus as necessary to get the attention of his players. As he revealed Thursday afternoon, his demeanor is unlikely to change with his new title. Said Butler, "I think you've got to be who you are. If I showed up to practice one day and I had my hands folded and I was very quiet, the kids would look at me and say, 'Who's this clown?' They could see through that. "Obviously, you have to be able to make quick decisions. You have to be able to call a defense, you have to be able to adapt to the situations, and I think I'm prepared to do that. I understand what I have to do, and I don't think it's going to be an issue. "But I think sometimes when people see my demeanor on the sidelines, they may misunderstand. I'm incredibly competitive, and I think, in those situations, while it may appear that I have lost my mind, I haven't." Butler's enthusiasm and his intellect have proven extremely valuable at Penn State, just as they did at his previous coaching stops. He said he has maintained his go-getter attitude throughout his 18-year coaching career. That career started at Texas in 1997, where he served as a graduate assistant before moving up through the ranks via assistant coaching jobs at Catholic University, Midwestern State and Texas State. He coached at Harvard for a few seasons, at Minnesota for four years, and then spent one season at South Carolina before finally landing in Happy Valley last season.