Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 6 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M it on social media, I was like, that's just the cherry on top. That's what I wanted to see. "I think the one thing that I love about him is one, how much he motivates us, but I think two, how much he buys into the program, and how much you can see he really cares. And I think that's just an infectious trait to have as a coach. He's gotten so many guys to buy in since then, and I think that he's only going to con- tinue to do that." Added Lustig on his "steady" presence at kicker: "That's his personality. And I think that's a challenging thing in recruiting … you can find really good kickers, but you've just got to know what they're going to do under pressure. In my past, most of the times when you sit down with the kids and get to know them, they have that personality where they're not too high, not too low, and nothing fazes them. And Barker is certainly that." ■ Being a special teams coordinator is never just about one thing. As Penn State's Justin Lustig has learned in his 25-year coaching career, it's typically a never-ending balancing act between several jobs at once. That experience has come in handy over the past eight months. As James Franklin's Penn State empire collapsed around him in the fall, Lustig, who was brought in to run the Nittany Lions' special teams in 2024, was able to keep his groups on track. Penn State's special teams finished No. 6 in ESPN's SP+ rankings for the 2025 season, the stable piece of a team that lacked consistency everywhere else. When the offseason started up in December, Lustig was a hot commodity. He had an opportunity to follow Franklin to Virginia Tech, as well as offers from multiple Power Four programs that were impressed with his résumé. But first, there were family considerations to be weighed. Since making the leap from being Edinboro's head coach in 2016, Lustig has made Syracuse, Nashville and State College home. He and his wife, Beth, are both from Erie. He played his college ball at Bucknell, while she played soccer at Edinboro. In their latest spot, they've been able to catch their breath as the youngest of their two sons, Henry (Hank) Lustig, finished his high school career at State College Area. Hank was an all-state wide receiver and a standout defensive back for the Little Lions. His success drew interest from lower-level schools, and he was able to explore several options over the past year. But in early January, he met with new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell, who had an idea. "We were going to Buffalo. He had an official visit to Buffalo, and he met Campbell," Justin Lustig explained. "Coach offered him a spot. I kind of knew about it. Immediately, though, we got in the car and he's like, 'Dad, this is where I want to go.' I said, 'Make sure you take your visits first, because I don't want you to do this just for me, and it's going to be hard. You can go to these other places and maybe play a little quicker.' "Every day it was just bothering me, so I said, 'OK, let's do it.' I sat him down and told him, 'This is what being a walk-on means,' and told him how hard it was going to be. He got it." A month earlier, the elder Lustig wasn't sure what to think about his own future. In the early days after Campbell was brought on board, the growing sentiment was that Lustig would be moving once again. But the more time he spent around the staff that trick- led in from Iowa State, the more he could see himself staying. "It was mayhem, really. I think one of the only times in my life where I've been a free agent," Lustig recalled. "That path and that journey were interesting — fielding calls from different people and different conferences in different parts of the country. Obviously, there's the professional part of it, but there's the personal part of it, too. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Henry having a great experience at State College High — there were just so many things that played into it. "When Coach Campbell got hired and I knew I had an opportunity to stay, I tried to call as many people as I knew who had worked with Coach Campbell. And I couldn't find one negative thing about him. Everybody just raved about him. So, for us, it just made too much sense to stay. We're excited." Lustig's success in navigating the 2025 season, his local roots and program-wide knowledge were key factors in his retention. Penn State led the nation in blocked kicks with 5 in 2025 and finished 12th in net punting. Kicker Ryan Barker was among the nation's most accurate at his position, as well. So it was a fortunate alignment of the stars in what turned out to be a contract year. "The timing of that for us was really good," Lustig joked. "But re- ally, it probably opened the doors for more opportunities. It also makes it stressful, too. Every night I'm coming home and telling my wife that so-and-so called, 'Do you want to move here?' So, it was great in a lot of ways, even with the stress. I'm happy with how it all turned out." — Sean Fitz Justin Lustig Happy To Be Back As Special Teams Coordinator Lustig received numerous job offers after Penn State's coaching change, but he heard good things about Matt Campbell and decided he wanted to be part of the Nittany Lions' new staff. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS