Penn State looking at Bill O'Brien as top head coach candidate

[SVN]

O’Brien emerges as strong candidate for Penn State job | ProFootballTalk

UPDATE 11:10 a.m. ET: Jonny Saraceno of USA Today reports the following: “A person with knowledge of the Penn State hiring tells USA TODAY that only contract details need to be finalized before O’Brien is the man.”

Hate the coaching continuity being disturbed every couple of years.

 

[patsfan2007]

How about Norv Turner for OC?

 

[SVN]

How about Norv Turner for OC?

wont happen. will be someone from within.

 

[Joker]

I may sound like the minority here, but I'm hoping praying for the return of Josh Mcdaniels, especially since the Jesters are supposedly looking at him, I really want Josh back and here comes the attacks but Eric Mangini back in some capacity the guy is head and shoulder better than every Coach on our sidelines besides BB of course, but BB can't coach forever so when he is ready to hang it up and do the Parcells role, I want a sure successor that BB picks how crazy of a story line would it be if one of the 2 take the Patriots into the Ryan Mallet era and who better to coach him up than coach Mcdaniels who made Matt Cassel look like a beast.

there wouldn't be enough air in the room if both Mangina and McDaniels came back on staff

 

[BelichickFan]

So...........

Not sure what you mean.

Chances are O'Brien will stick around at least half time to try to win a SB. But if he wanted to he could just take off and leave us without our O.C. for the playoffs. There's rules against that if he got an NFL job but not a college job.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The other issue for a college job is O'Brien could leave us tomorrow if he wanted to. He couldn't for an NFL job.

Not tomorrow, but apparently his contract is up after this year, so the Pats can't completely stop him from interviewing elsewhere. They can control timing somewhat to prevent distractions, but that's it.

 

[RobertWeathers]

BOB needs to do what is right as his contract expires after this season.

It might be O'Shea sliding into the quasi-OC role because he has more experience as Ferentz is only a year into his role as TE coach.

 

[scout]

The more I think about it, the more I even wonder if someone like Belichick could even erase that stigma, no matter how much they win. That's just one of the ugliest stories in the history of college sports...it's just horrific.

I believe the chapter that moves the story along is when Sandusky is sentenced to a federal penetentiary for hopefully the rest of his life. Everyone is still shocked, but unless another bombshell is dropped the program will go on. This is not an SMU death penalty. If an extrordinary athlete or coach emerged, the focus would turn to him and the story line would be how this athlete became significant with the Sandusky tragedy as a barrier.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Per ESPN. Interesting.

I feel like I need a shower after reading that

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

being from Pa.. it doesnt make sense... he is going into a hornets nest.. and his recruritng skills prob lack something espically since myer is going to poach every recruit to ohio state... if he goes.. oh well... as a non penn state fan its going to fun to watch...

 

[DaBruinz]

wont happen. will be someone from within.

I'm not sure that is the case.. They don't really have anyone lined up to take over since BO'B is the QB coach as well as the OC.

People may get their wish and BB might actually have to go outside the organization to get an OC..

 

[DropKickFlutie]

The only upside is it will give us a lot more trusted coached in college with O'Brien seemingly at Penn State and Meyer at Ohio State.

Meyer is a successful winner but in terms of draft info I'd be cautious. Aside from Hernandez this year, pretty much everyone Meyer has recommended to the Pats as draft picks has been a disappointment. Meyer might be more motivated to get his kids drafted than to help any specific NFL team, like the Pats.

 

[DaBruinz]

I can understand why people think it's a bad choice for BO'B to go to Penn St. As mentioned, he'll have a few things working against him. He's following a legend in Joe Pa. He's also got the stigma of the scandal. But, in all honesty, that stigma is sticking more to Joe Pa than it is Penn St.

I believe that BO'B will be given a significant chance to build the Penn St. rep back up. And I really don't believe that there will be the mass exodus that people are thinking there will be. If I am not mistaken, Ohio State is still under sanctions that include loss of scholarships, a 1 year bowl ban, and probation. I don't know of any such sanctions for Penn. St.

 

[SONS_OF_BELICHICK]

I dont think he goes...its a freakin mess there ......

 

[BelichickFan]

Not tomorrow, but apparently his contract is up after this year, so the Pats can't completely stop him from interviewing elsewhere. They can control timing somewhat to prevent distractions, but that's it.

I don't think that applies to college, I think he can just resign and not get paid the rest of his contract. It's probably moot because O'Brien will likely stay but I remember Saban left the Browns to go to Michigan St. in the playoffs; that was a long time ago but I think the contract only protects us from losing him to an NFL HC job.

 

[SVN]

I'm not sure that is the case.. They don't really have anyone lined up to take over since BO'B is the QB coach as well as the OC.

People may get their wish and BB might actually have to go outside the organization to get an OC..

We don't know who is behind obrien because we dont hear abt them. BB wont bring anyone from outside to run their own offense and have the pats and brady learn a new system or another coach learn the pats system.Iam sure norv turner wont want to do that either . BB needs someone to run the pats offense .I can see a slight chance Jmcd coming back but other than that it could be someone from within and Iam sure BB has planned for these contingencies.

 

[DaBruinz]

Meyer is a successful winner but in terms of draft info I'd be cautious. Aside from Hernandez this year, pretty much everyone Meyer has recommended to the Pats has been a disappointment. Meyer might be more motivated to get his drafted than to help any specific NFL team, like the Pats.

Say what? How do you figure that "pretty much everyone that Meyer has recommended has been a disappointment?"

You do realize that it's not just players on HIS team that he can make recommendations on, yes? He can make recommendations on players that his team plays against. Players like Jerod Mayo. Also, you should remember that BB checks many of the players out personally. As was the case with Spikes, Cunningham, and Hernandez.

I actually did a bit of a research project back a couple years ago and found that Meyer could have had a hand in recommendations for 6 players. Those 6 players were C.Jack, Mincey, Elgin, Mayo, Wilhite, and Crable. Of the 6, Mayo, Wilhite, Elgin and Crable could have had recommendations from Saban (Wilhite and Mayo) Weis (Crable and Mayo) and Ferentx (Crable and Elgin).

When you look at the situation, it's much more likely that there were 2 or more people who made the recommendation for particular players.. The idea that it was just "Meyer" doesn't hold water. And the idea that Hernandez is the only one who has worked out isn't supported when you consider Mayo and Spikes in the situation as well as others from the 2009-2011 drafts.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

As a Buckeye fan, I hope he takes the job.
As a Patriot fan, even though I prefer Weis, then McD to BoB, I hope he doesn't take the job. That school will be facing a LOIC charge. Could get 2-3 years of being banned from playing bowl games or at least close down.

Not sure why the heck he would want that job.

 

[DaBruinz]

We don't know who is behind obrien because we dont hear abt them. BB wont bring anyone from outside to run their own offense and have the pats and brady learn a new system or another coach learn the pats system.Iam sure norv turner wont want to do that either . BB needs someone to run the pats offense .I can see a slight chance Jmcd coming back but other than that it could be someone from within and Iam sure BB has planned for these contingencies.

Who said anything about installing a new offense? I sure didn't. All I said is that we could see someone from outside because I don't know of anyone on the Pats who can be/wants to be the OC after O'Brien. Dante Scarnecchia has turned it down on more than 1 occasion. I don't believe that Ivan Fears wants to move up either. Ferentz doesn't have enough experience, in general. That leave's Chad O'Shea. The most that O'Shea has ever done is be a Special Teams coach. Beyond that, he's been a WR positional coach for his career. And excellent one at that..

 

[Calciumee]

I don't know the ins and out of the Penn State saga, but I even know is a mess!

If he goes, can't see him lasting!