Report: Penn State assistant a name to watch for Virginia opening

Another opening was added to the coaching carousel in a surprise announcement Thursday.

That opening came at Virginia when Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall revealed he was resigning. Now, Virginia will enter the fray as the coaching carousel spins on.

It remains to be seen who the Cavaliers target for the opening, but one analyst has listed a Penn State assistant as a name to watch. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg listed Anthony Poindexter – a former UVA star – as a name to watch for the vacancy.

Poindexter starred as a defensive back at Virginia from 1995-98. He has been a part of James Franklin’s Penn State staff since 2017 and is the Co-DC of the Nittany Lions.

Early name to watch for #Virginia is #PennState co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter, a former All-America safety and ACC defensive player of the year at Virginia. Would be wild if both PSU defensive coordinators ended up coaching teams in the Commonwealth Cup.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 2, 2021

If Poindexter is targeted and makes the move, it would be another interesting PSU connection in Virginia. Former DC Brent Pry was officially announced as the new head coach at Virginia Tech on Thursday.