The Penn State football program faces another significant staff change and, for the first time this offseason, it's one that impacts things on defense. Sean Spencer, a longtime James Franklin assistant who followed the head coach to Happy Valley from Vanderbilt in 2014, is taking an NFL job with the New York Giants.

Lions247's Sean Fitz first reported this development on the Lions Pride message board Friday morning.

Spencer spent the last six seasons serving as Penn State's defensive line coach. He filled that same role on Franklin's Vanderbilt staff from 2011 through 2013. Cumulatively, that's nine seasons under the same boss; a rarity in college football.

Spencer, who added the title of associate head coach in 2018, has helped Penn State produce several NFL defensive linemen, including a pair set to participate in the Super Bowl (Kevin Givens and defensive end Anthony Zettel of the San Francisco 49ers). Other past PSU pupils now at the pro level include Austin Johnson (Tennessee Titans) and Carl Nassib (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), while Nittany Lions junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is a projected first-round pick in the 2020 draft.

“I will find ways for guys to get on the field,” Spencer said last summer while discussing his rotational approach. “It’s up to me and (defensive coordinator Brent) Pry and Coach Franklin to find these roles to have them help us become successful.”

Penn State punctuated its 2019 campaign with six sacks in the Cotton Bowl, pushing the season-long total to 45 sacks. That extended the Nittany Lions' streak of 40-plus sacks to five straight years; a program record.

“If we can sustain and always have great D-Lines, we’ve got a chance to be successful every year," Spencer said after the Cotton Bowl. "People always joke when I say we just reload, but that’s why we recruit really good players, so you can reload.”

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The Penn State defensive line room loses a pair of starters (Gross-Matos and defensive tackle Robert Windsor) but returns substantial blue-chip talent in 2020. Recent four-star recruits such as Adisa Isaac, PJ Mustipher and Jayson Oweh may be ready to make a leap, while veteran defensive end Shaka Toney provided a boost by opting to return for his senior season after considering an early NFL draft entrance.

Spencer assessed a rising group of redshirt freshmen last month.

“One of the things that has me so excited about Smith Vilbert, D'Von Ellies, Hakeem Beamon and [Joseph] Darkwa — he’s still coming around — is that they’ve got that next-level fit,” he said. “I’m not necessarily talking about NFL; I’m talking about taking us completely where we want to go."

Penn State signed six 2020 defensive line prospects in December: Cole Brevard, Coziah Izzard, Fatorma Mulbah, Bryce Mostella, Brandon Taylor and Amin Vanover.

Among that group, Brevard, Mostella and Mulbah enrolled early.

"Coach Spencer I believe is one of the best defensive line coaches in the history of college football," Brevard told 247Sports. "I love him; great guy. I know he’s going to push me and I think I made a great choice.”

Affectionately known as "Coach Chaos", Spencer was among the most charismatic personalities found within the program during recent years. His departure leaves Pry and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith as positional assistants remaining from Franklin's original Penn State staff.

Spencer joins a new Giants regime led by former New England Patriots assistant Joe Judge. During the last five weeks, Franklin has filled vacancies at offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, receivers coach and offensive line coach.

More on Spencer's departure in the latest Lions247 Podcast: