STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ The coach who guided the New Orleans Saints through Hurricane Katrina has joined Penn State’s football team as a consultant.

Penn State says Jim Haslett will work with its offensive, defensive and specials teams coaches and serve as a “sounding board” for the staff.

The 59-year-old Pittsburgh native played linebacker at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year in 1979 with the Buffalo Bills.

Haslett led the Saints to a 10-6 record and a division championship in 2000, his first season as head coach.

He was fired in 2005 after the Saints went 3-13 while playing home games in Baton Rouge, San Antonio and New Jersey due to damage at the Superdome.

Haslett’s stint as defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins ended in December.