1986 staff
| Coach | Role | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach1 | ||
| Joe Paterno | Head Coach | 1970 |
| Coordinators2 | ||
| Fran Ganter | Offensive Coordinator | 1984 |
| Jerry Sandusky | Defensive Coordinator · Linebackers | 1977 |
| Position coaches12 | ||
| Ron Dickerson | Cornerbacks | 1985 |
| Tom Bradley | Outside Linebackers | 1986 |
| Bob Phillips | Assistant Coach | 1970 |
| Chet Fuhrman | Assistant Coach | 1982 |
| Craig Cirbus | Assistant Coach | 1984 |
| Fran Ganter | Assistant Coach | 1974 |
| Jerry Sandusky | Assistant Coach | 1970 |
| Jim Caldwell | Assistant Coach | 1986 |
| Jim Williams | Assistant Coach | 1978 |
| Joe Sarra | Assistant Coach | 1985 |
| Nick Gasparato | Assistant Coach | 1984 |
| Tom Bradley | Assistant Coach | 1980 |
| Analysts1 | ||
| Paul Shaffner | Graduate Assistant | 1986 |
A stint appears in a season when it overlaps it, so a coach hired in 1986 and a coach in their ninth year both show here, each with the full range of their stint.