Bagnoli takes over as defensive coordinator

The biggest move did not involve any movement at all -- head coach Al Bagnoli is going to take on the additional role of defensive coordinator. It is unclear whether this move will be permanent, as the team may find a replacement for departed coach Mike Toop sometime over the summer. The Winnipeg Sun had reported that Penn offered a contract to former Winnipeg Blue Bombers coach Jeff Reinebold, but the team source said Reinebold is looking for an assistant coaching job in the NFL instead. So for spring football, Bagnoli will be the man leading the defense. The team felt it would be detrimental to continue its search for a defensive coordinator in the spring, especially for recruiting purposes, the source said. The position is nothing new for the man who coached teams to Ivy championships in 1993, 1994 and 1998. Bagnoli got his start as the defensive coordinator at Albany State for two years before moving on to Union from 1978 to 1982. He then took over as head coach, a position that he held for 10 years before coming to Penn in 1992. But defensive coordinator is not the only position that will feature a new coach next season. Three current coaches will also assume new jobs within the Quakers' staff. Mark Chmielinski will become the defensive backs coach after four years as the head of the running backs. Karl Miran, a former Swarthmore head coach, will replace Chmielinski as running backs coach after coaching tight ends in 1998, his first year at Penn. John Keller will replace Miran as tight ends coach after spending his first year on the staff as an offensive assistant coach primarily responsible for the offensive line. -- Daniel Tenenblatt