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Congrats to Pry. If Shoop thinks Ten- nessee is a better gig, then that is his view and there's nothing we can do but say see ya! Quick decision by Franklin, and I hope these guys can transition into their new roles. I liked Franklin from day one and I am glad that he is severing some ties to the good ol' boys network he brought. One external and one internal coordinator is a good combination. Let's see how he works with these guys, and 2016 should be interesting. Second half of the year better than the first half is what I will be watching. That improve- ment did not happen this year. razpsu Very good move, in my opinion. Also makes me think that Franklin might have had some indication, likely from Shoop himself, that a move could be in the mak- ing. Thought process of course being that Shoop talks about the offers and jobs he is considering and his goal to be a head coach by the 2017 season. Pry is told this by Franklin with the understanding that he is the "defensive coordinator in wait- ing" for when Shoop leaves and thus he doesn't take the Georgia Southern job. Almost like there was a plan with contin- gencies in place – like a good CEO would have, for instance. Berg3438 I love this move by Franklin. ... I have been a PSU fan for over 50 years. Yes, I am an old guy. I have seen a lot of great defenses and some not so great. Shoop was a good coach but not a great coach. Our defense was good against mediocre offenses. But against the elite teams, we were awful. So I welcome the change. Pry has talent, he connects with his players. We will be a much different team next year, and I think much better. Congrats, Coach Pry!!! mfwerner Personally, I liked Hand. I think it is too, too early to see his results, and his "real" students are the ones about to make their mark on our line. I do think Paris Palmer improved as the year went on, and I'm going to assume that's a re- sult of play, his abilities and the coach- ing. Whoever replaces Herb is in a can't- lose role for the first year. If there is dra- matic improvement, the new coach will get all the plaudits and praise (but I'll wonder how much was Hand and how much was new guy if there are new names on the line in 2016). If the line doesn't improve, then we simply point to the previous coach and blame him for the damage. Henrymale I think this is a positive. Regardless of Hand's abilities, it allows Moorhead to be involved in bringing in the next OL coach. kjb32812 I don't think we saw the best of what Hand could do. The players seemed to like him, too. I just think he was too caught up in the distraction of Twitter at times. Oh, that and having his linemen practicing blocking each other in a game. That wasn't so sweet. PapaSmurf Nice guy, but hey, after zero improve- ment – emphasize ZERO improvement – in O-line play over 26 games... it's time to move on. … No matter how bad the talent, there is no excuse for making no progress whatsoever. thk1414 They made some progress, IMO. They went from historically terrible to just re- ally, really crappy. The fact that they were only able to make small steps tells me it has more to do with talent level than coaching. Hand doesn't get a free pass here, but he did what he could with what he had. Brazillm10 Just like with players, I thank him for his time here and wish him luck in his future endeavors. I don't see the need to bash him as he is leaving. Next man up. jeffkoz You have to realize one thing now: The stability and loyaty Joe bought to this program is no longer here. This is now the nature of the college football busi- ness. Assistants are going to be leaving all the time now for other opportunities. It's like that everywhere, not just here. We may go through two, maybe three years with no changes then wow, two or three leave within a year. RTLH was "honored and appreciative of the opportunity to be the defensive coordi- nator at Penn State "I am excited about the future of this program and this defense," he added. "There has been a lot of work put in these first two years by a very loyal group of players, coaches and staff. I'm looking forward to the successes that lie ahead for our football family." Pry's promotion was one of the biggest in a series of moves that have reshaped Franklin's staff during the past two months. The upheaval began with the dismissal of offensive coordinator John Donovan in late November, fol- lowed by the hiring of Moorhead on Dec. 12. Then came the Pry-for-Shoop exchange in early January and with it two additional promotions: cornerbacks coach Terry Smith was appointed assis- tant head coach, while defensive line coach Sean Spencer was named defen- sive run game coordinator. On Jan. 11, offensive line coach Herb Hand was hired by Auburn, and two days later, he was replaced by Matt Limegrover, for- merly of Minnesota. And on Jan. 18, Penn State named former Illinois assis- tant Tim Banks safeties coach and co- defensive coordinator. Pry had reportedly been interested in the head coaching position at Georgia Southern, where he spent a season as defensive coordinator in 2010, helping the Eagles reach the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. But the school hired Colorado State defensive coordinator Tyson Sum- mers instead, and Pry ended up staying with Penn State. That turned out to be fortuitous for the Lions, because Shoop, for the second year in a row, was attracting attention from the Southeastern Conference. A year earlier, he had passed up the chance to become defensive coordinator at LSU, and he passed again in December when S I T E L I N E S • B W I . R I V A L S . 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