New PSU coach in over his head
January 7th, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^
but not OK.
Where's the supportive evidence? Did he walk on campus with a life preserver or something?
January 7th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
even under the best circumstances was going to have a problem at Paterno State University.
O'Brien is being hobbled from the start because normally you would want to reach out to alums, prior coaches, etc and he is being asked to distance himself from all of that right out of the gates.
I wish him well, but I think Brian's assessment is fairly accurate and in a few years we'll probably have someone returning to "Penn State values".
January 7th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^
Does O'Brien have any college football coaching experience? Most professional coaches do start in the college ranks before they move up, but I don't know what his background is.
January 7th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^
that he was OC at Duke when they went 1-22.
January 7th, 2012 at 5:06 PM ^
so he probably doesn't have very much established recruiting grounds. No one goes to Duke
January 7th, 2012 at 5:21 PM ^
About 15 years as an assistant at GT(o'leary), maryland(fridgen) & duke
January 7th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
I've been wondering this the last few days, but who exactly did the PSU "support" want hired as the next HC? With the news and tweets of all the former players saying how unhappy they are and how O'Brien will not have any support, who exactly was on the radar that would have made them happy? I just do not understand the unease amongst the program's supposed-to-be support.
I am also of the mindset that PSU will not be down in the dumps, for long anyway. Maybe O'Brien is not head coach material and they spiral downward because of him. Maybe. But if this guy can flat out coach some football and get the players behind him, I also do not see teh NCAA coming down on PSU. And the chances that the players that actually end up at PSU use this whole saga as a big chip on their shoulder and go play their asses for the University and Paterno, are not as slim as many think. PSU 7-6 next year.
January 7th, 2012 at 6:05 PM ^
Nick Saban or Les Miles were a close second. Somehow, a large portion of PSU fans persuaded themselves that one of them was coming to Penn State after the MNC game.
January 7th, 2012 at 6:59 PM ^