Villanova is promoting Ross Pennypacker to defensive coordinator, sources told FootballScoop on Thursday.
The 2021 season was Pennypacker's seventh on Mark Ferrante's staff, split between two stints. He spent last season as the Wildcats special teams coordinator, defensive run game coordinator, and defensive line coach.
Pennypacker replaces Ola Adams, who moved across town to co-coordinate Stan Drayton's defense at Temple before taking the assistant defensive backs job on the new Denver Broncos staff last month.
Promoting from within makes sense for Ferrante, following the success of the 2021 season. The Wildcats finished seventh in total defense (274.5 yards per game), second in pass efficiency defense (97.38), and ninth in scoring defense (16.7 points per game) en route to a 10-3 season.
Pennypacker spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Kutztown (D-II - PA) in between stints at Villanova. His first stint at VU started with him serving as the program's video coordinator, among other duties.
Additionally, Ferrante will fill the hole on staff created by Adams' departure by hiring William Paterson (D-III - NJ) head coach Dustin Johnson as defensive backs coach. Johnson spent the past four seasons leading the WPU program.
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