When James Franklin took control at Penn State, one of the biggest question on the minds of fans was how he would replace longtime defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
Johnson, considered by many to be the best defensive line coach in the country, was not retained and opted to join Urban Meyer on staff at Ohio State.
Spencer, who served as Franklin’s defensive line coach at Vanderbilt, followed him to Penn State and while it was evident from the start that he was a charismatic leader, there were questions about whether he’d be able to produce the kinds of results that Johnson had.