REPORT: Ex-Penn State football star DL to join Nittany Lions staff in brand new role

Another homecoming is set to take place in Happy Valley. According to a report from Blue-White Illustrated Monday morning, former Penn State football star defensive lineman Jordan Hill will return to the Nittany Lions as the program’s first director of life skills. Hill, who played four seasons in the NFL, recently resigned as the head coach at Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Now, the former Nittany Lion who stood up for Joe Paterno during the Jerry Sandusky scandal will have an opportunity to continue to represent the Blue and White. He will join his counterpart at Trinity and former Penn State teammate Mike Mauti as a new member of the greater Penn State athletics staff.

Ex-Penn State football star DL to join staff in a brand new role

Jordan Hill attended Steelton Highspire High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was a three-star prospect coming out of high school and held offers from Temple, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh but decided to commit to Penn State. He played for the Nittany Lions from 2009-2012 as a defensive lineman. One of his most memorable moments with the Penn State football team was when he stood up for Joe Paterno and chose to continue to play for the Nittany Lions.

“I’m still a big supporter of Coach Paterno,” Hill said in 2012. He’s one of the reasons that I’m here. Nobody’s perfect, and that’s basically all you can say. No man is perfect at all.”

Now, reports from Blue-White Illustrated on Monday that Hill is set to rejoin Penn State football as the program’s first director of life skills. According to Greg Pickel, this position will act as a student liaison with the Penn State student conduct office, assist with academic check-ins, support player internship opportunities, and obtain team guest speakers, among other tasks.

Hill was most recently the head football coach at Trinity High School in Camp Hill. Hill resigned from this role, as well as his position as the school’s director of advancement in mid-May. While with the Shamrocks, Hill coached Messiah Mickens, Penn State’s only 2026 commit thus far. Mickens transferred to Harrisburg High School in Janruary.

Mike Mauti is back in Happy Valley

On May 13, news broke that former Nittany Lion linebacker Michael Mauti has returned to Penn State as its associate director of development for intercollegiate athletics. Mauti was part of Jordan Hill’s staff at Trinity High School where he served as the associate head coach. The news became official on May 22.

James Franklin and Penn State have now brought back two infamous players who were with Penn State during some of the darkest days in program history.

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