Penn State named Kermit Buggs its new safeties coach yesterday, replacing Brian Norwood, who accepted the defensive coordinator position at Baylor University on Friday.
Buggs, a member of the Penn State football staff since the 2003 season, will assume the new position as the Nittany Lions prepare to meet Texas A&M in the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl, according to a press release.
Buggs served as Penn State's coordinator of player personnel for the past two seasons and became more involved with recruiting last year. In his role as coordinator of player personnel, he served "as a liaison between the coaching staff and academic support staff," the release said. Buggs has also been a graduate assistant coach with Penn State during the two prior seasons (2003-2005).
"He's just a good guy," team spokesman Guido D'Elia said. "Constantly upbeat with a smile on his face."
A 1995 graduate of Norfolk State University, where he played football, Buggs is one of the youngest additions to this Penn State staff; wide receivers coach Mike McQueary is a 1997 Penn State graduate. Buggs compiled a 34-14 record from 1999-2002 as head coach of Surry County High School in Dendron, Va.
Reached at his office yesterday, Buggs declined to comment on his hiring. Tom Bradley, the defensive coordinator, also declined to comment.
The hire is a rare move for the Penn State football program, which hasn't experienced much turnover recently. Before Norwood's departure, the most recent coach to leave had been former wide receivers coach Kenny Carter, who left the program in January 2004 to take a job at Vanderbilt University. McQueary filled his spot.
Norwood, whose son Jordan is a junior wide receiver for the Lions, had been the Lions safeties coach since the 2001 season.
"I am excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Briles at a great university like Baylor and all of the possibilities of this position," Norwood said in a Baylor press release on Friday.
Norwood and current Baylor coach Art Briles worked together during the 2000 season at Texas Tech University, where Norwood coached the defensive backs. Briles, who was previously the University of Houston's head coach, will be entering his first year as head coach at Baylor in the fall.
"Brian is a passionate, intelligent football coach with a great work ethic," Briles said in the release. "But more importantly, he is a wonderful family man with tremendous Christian values, which make him a great fit for this position on our coaching staff at Baylor University."
