Veteran Penn State football support staffer joins Manny Diaz at Duke

A long-time support staffer for James Franklin and the Penn State football program is joining Manny Diaz in Durham. This week, Nittany Lions assistant video director Joe Loosemore announced that he was set to join Diaz’s new staff at Duke. Loosemore was a member of Penn State’s award-winning video team run by Jevin Stone and is one of several support staffers to follow the former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator at his next stop.

Loosemore becomes latest Penn State football support staffer to join Manny Diaz at Duke

Monday, Greg Pickel of Blue-White Illustrated reported that Penn State football was seeking a new assistant video director, the position held for the last five years by Joe Loosemore.

Shortly thereafter, we learned that Loosemore had left the role to join the staff of new head coach and ex-Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz at Duke.

“Five years ago, we met as strangers! Now we are best friends and brothers,” Penn State football director of coaching technology Jevin Stone wrote on social media Tuesday. “On behalf of me, the student video managers, and our families: thank you, thank you, thank you. Go live out your dreams; [I’m] very proud of you. [Duke football] and [Manny Diaz] got a good one.”

5 years ago we met as strangers!
NOW we are best friends & brothers @JoetheVideoGuy on behalf of Me, the Student Video Managers & our families THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Go live out your dreams VERY proud of you @DukeFOOTBALL & @Coach_MannyDiaz got a good 1 🫡 pic.twitter.com/yINmPeJA59

— Jev Lee (@jevlee) May 28, 2024

A graduate of Western Carolina, Loosemore had previously worked as the video and graphics coordinator at Elon. Penn State’s video staff earned national recognition multiple times during Loosemore’s time in Happy Valley. Last year, the Collegiate Sports Video Association awarded the group the Motivational Video of the Year for its pre-Maryland hype video. The same group also recognized Stone as Video Coordinator of the Year.

Perhaps most notably for the Nittany Lion faithful, the “bat signal” clip James Franklin shares when Penn State earns a new commitment took home the top prize in the social media shorts category.

#WeAre…Better #107kStrong #PSUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/r0ExnE4qI9

— James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) May 8, 2024

Loosemore is the latest Penn State football support staffer to follow Manny Diaz since taking over at Duke last December. In January, defensive analysts Gabe Infante and Rick Lyster joined the Blue Devils staff. Infante now serves as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, while Lyster coaches the team’s safeties. 

Multiple Nittany Lion lettermen return to Happy Valley

James Franklin and Penn State have been busy making staffing moves of their own recently.

This week, the Nittany Lions brought former defensive lineman and Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill back to the program in a newly created role. Hill will be the first director of life skills for Penn State football after serving as the head coach and director of advancement of Trinity High School in Camp Hill. This position primarily focuses on player personal support and development.

That announcement came on the heels of another letterman’s return to Penn State athletics. In mid-May, ex-linebacker Michael Mauti was announced as the university’s associate director of development for intercollegiate athletics. Hill’s former teammate and associate head coach at Trinity, the iconic linebacker will support the school’s athletic fundraising efforts. 

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