Penn State adds longtime NFL coach Jim Haslett as consultant

Penn State added a coach with plenty of NFL experience to its staff on Wednesday.

The program announced that longtime NFL coach Jim Haslett “will serve as a consultant” for the Penn State football team and program. Haslett, a native of Pittsburgh, spent the last five seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.

“We are very excited to have Jim with our program,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “Jim has an outstanding football mind and invaluable experience that will be a tremendous resource. He has great knowledge of the game at the next level and we plan to put that to good use. He will work with our offensive, special teams and defensive coaches and will be a fantastic sounding board for our staff.”

Before his time with the Redskins, Haslett most notably was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2005. He also had stints as a defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams (2006-08) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1997-99) and Saints (1996) and coached linebackers for the Saints (1995) and Los Angeles Raiders (1993-94).

"I am thrilled to join the Penn State football family," Haslett said. "James is one of the great, young head coaches in the collegiate game today and he is leading this Penn State program in the right direction. The future is very bright for Penn State football and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Haslett, 59, played collegiately at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was picked in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year that season and had an eight-year NFL career.

For more Penn State news, visit BlueWhiteIllustrated.com.

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