Anthony Poindexter brings experience as former player and coach to Penn State as safeties coach
Anthony Poindexter had watched Penn State head coach James Franklin from afar for years.
Poindexter, who was hired away from Big Ten foe Purdue to be the Nittany Lions’ new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach late last month, first formed a friendship with Franklin in 2004. It was then when Poindexter was the running backs coach at Virginia and Franklin was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Maryland.
“We’ve just been friends — we met a long time ago,” Poindexter said of his relationship with Franklin during his introductory Zoom press conference on Monday. “We did talk a few times about job openings he had, but it just wasn’t the right time. But this year was the right time, and I felt good about my family and myself in the situation that I was coming to.”
The 44-year-old Poindexter joins the Penn State coaching staff after spending the last four years as the Boilermakers’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. In just his first season in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2017, he helped the Purdue defense improve from 38.2 points allowed per game to 20.5.
Now, Poindexter takes over for the recently-departed Tim Banks — who left the program last month to become the defensive coordinator at Tennessee. Poindexter will look to help bring consistent success to the Nittany Lions’ secondary (Penn State ranked No. 24 in the country last season in passing yards allowed, but ranked 100th in 2019). And he’s confident his familiarity with the Big Ten and overall coaching experience will help him do just that.
“Being in this conference for four years and knowing the style of ball and knowing the style of offenses that you’re gonna face from week to week,” Poindexter said, “it definitely helps.”
Background as a player
It isn’t just Poindexter’s background as a Big Ten coach that makes him ready for his new gig, though.
Poindexter played safety himself at Virginia from 1995-98. With the Cavaliers, he was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year.
Still, Poindexter said today’s college football players aren’t familiar with the success he had over two decades ago.
“I’m like a dinosaur,” Poindexter chuckled. “I played so long ago that most of the kids I’m talking to nowadays don’t really — either they don’t know or they ain’t done the research or whatever. So, I kind of let them stumble upon that on their own.”
For Poindexter, it’s not about gloating about his own accolades; it’s about using his experience to help the Nittany Lions’ safeties room. He understands that the game of football is much different now than it was in the ‘90s.
But, he said, he feels players are more receptive to his coaching because his “cleats have been in the same spot their cleats have been in.”
“I try to use lessons that I learned while I was playing, while I was coming up, and things that I saw on the field as a player that I can relate to them,” Poindexter said. “‘Maybe you need to look at it this way.’ (Those are) the lessons I try to teach them. I don’t try to (say), ‘Oh, I was this kinda player; I was that kinda player.’ Each player is different.”
And because Poindexter realizes that every player is unique, he said one of the most important things he wants to instill in the Penn State safeties is that they should play the game in a way that maximizes their own strengths.
Coaching journey
Throughout his various coaching stops, Poindexter has amassed a ton of knowledge from coaches he’s worked for.
In 11 seasons with Virginia, Poindexter worked his way up the ladder from being a graduate assistant in 2003 to safeties coach in 2013. He then spent three years at Connecticut as the program’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach before his time with Purdue.
“I’ve been fortunate to be around people that do it the right way — good people, (people that are) willing to let you learn,” Poindexter said.
Poindexter said one of the main things he took away from each coach he’s been under or played for is that a love for football is a must to succeed in the business. That goes for coaches and players.
“All of those coaches were the same,” Poindexter said. “They love the kids; they love coaching us, teaching us and they pushed me every day to be my best. And even if you ain’t the best player, if you just push the player to be his best every day, he’ll help the team in some kind of way.”
That’s the philosophy that he’s seen lead to success, and it’s the same one he brings with him to Penn State.
But he knows players must also have a burning desire to continue to grow their games.
“I think the first thing — for me, personally — when I’m looking for a safety is: ‘Does the kid love football? And does he have a desire to play and compete?’” Poindexter explained. “I think in all football, if the kid doesn’t have a desire to play or doesn’t really love the sport, it’s hard to play at this level. So, that’s first and foremost.”
Early evaluation of PSU’s safeties
Poindexter hasn’t even been with the program for a full two weeks, so it’s hard for him to give a great evaluation of Penn State’s safeties. But, he said, the early look he’s gotten has been promising.
So far, the players have embraced him and tried to learn the way he thinks, and he’s done the same while getting to know them.
“It’s hard when you have a coach that you (knew),” Poindexter said. “A lot of them were probably recruited by Coach Banks and stuff like that, and a new guy comes in, so you’re trying to wonder, ‘What’s he gonna bring different? How is he gonna be?’ I think they’ve been very open with me, and (they’re) really trying to just understand my style, my method, and really helping me along the way, teaching me the defense, as well, and how they do things here.”
The Nittany Lions have nine safeties on the roster. Among them, senior Jaquan Brisker, redshirt junior Jonthan Sutherland and junior Ji’Ayir Brown were significant contributors last season.
Though he hasn’t seen any of those players play football firsthand — since Penn State is still doing winter workouts and doesn’t start spring ball until next week — his confidence in the safeties comes from seeing their work ethic.
But Poindexter can’t wait until he and his players can “get on the grass,” so he can truly get an idea of the safeties room he’ll have to work with this fall.
“These kids love to work,” he said. “They’re willing to get coached, and they love their teammates. They want to be on the Penn State football team. So, when I add all that stuff up, it’s gonna be hard not to have a good group.”
