As Matt Campbell continues to become more acquainted with life in State College, he’s continuing to fill out his staff.

On Thursday, several former Iowa State assistants appeared in the Penn State directory, with one of them being Deon Broomfield, the former Iowa State safeties coach, joining Campbell in Happy Valley as a secondary defensive coordinator, per the Penn State directory.

Broomfield played safety for Iowa State in college from 2010-13, finishing his career with four forced fumbles and three interceptions. After a brief stint on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, Broomfield went into coaching, first as a safeties coach for Division III Carthage College in 2015.

From there, he bounced around, coaching cornerbacks at FCS Western Illinois in 2016 and Indiana State from 2017-19 before making the jump to the NFL level as a defensive assistant for the Houston Texans in 2020. He returned to his alma mater in 2021, joining Campbell as a safeties coach.

Broomfield had a hand in three Iowa State defensive backs being drafted over the last three years, with Anthony Johnson going in the seventh round in 2023, T.J. Tampa in the fourth round in 2024, and Darien Porter in the third round in 2025.

The most interesting aspect of his hiring, however, might be its impact on the rest of the staff. With incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Knowles reportedly being shown the door after one year, it’s widely assumed that former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock will fill the spot. Terry Smith is being retained on staff, but his role isn’t currently known, having coached cornerbacks for the last decade.

Broomfield’s new role appears to be similar to that of co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, but there has been no information on Poindexter’s status after this season.

About the Author

Michael Zeno

Michael is a junior from Eastampton, NJ, majoring in international politics. He's a diehard Knicks, Yankees, Rangers, and Giants fan. When he's not watching old OBJ highlights, he likes to bowl and play pickup basketball. He'll forever believe that Michael Penix Jr. was short. You can contact him at @MichaelZeno24 on Twitter or zenomanknows@gmail.com

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