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Penn State's defense underwent a total turnaround under Bob Shoop this year becoming one of the stingiest in college football.

(PennLive/Joe Hermitt)

Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com, our sister site in New Orleans, has just posted that Penn State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is being considered for the similar DC spot at Louisiana State just vacated by John Chavis. The longtime LSU coordinator is leaving to take a job at Texas A&M.

Kleinpeter believes Shoop is the No. 3 candidate for the open DC position but is a strong contender because of his prior experience in the SEC at Vanderbilt on James Franklin's staff. The frontrunners for the spot now appear to be former USC and NFL defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and Alabama linebackers coach Kevin Steele, according to Kleinpeter.

With limited resources, Shoop built the best rushing defense in college football statistically this season. The Nittany Lions allowed only 85 yards per game during the regular season, tops in FBS. Even after Boston College gashed the Lions for 289 rushing yards in the Pinstripe Bowl, Shoop's unit still averaged only 101 rushing yards allowed, ranking fourth in the nation entering today's bowl action. The Lions' 18.6 average points allowed ranked seventh entering today.

Shoop has an Ivy League education (Yale, where he was a wide receiver) but is Pittsburgh-bred. He's known as a quick study and keen tactician who keeps directives clear and values simplicity in teaching his players whenever possible.

Shoop has not yet been contacted yet by LSU, Kleinpeter said. Should head coach Les Miles settle on Shoop as his choice, LSU's offer would likely be a tough one for Penn State to match. Each of the Tigers' coordinators, Chavis and OC Cam Cameron, made $1.3 million this season, the highest combined coordinators' salaries in college football.

DAVID JONES: djones@pennlive.com.