Head Coach Bill O’Brien has the daunting challenge of taking over and rebuilding a program overshadowed by a dark ominous cloud.
Now that the dust has settled, it is clear that Penn State’s acquisition of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will prove to be a good move for a scandal-ravaged university. For the first time in nearly half a century there will be no Paterno on the Penn State sidelines. This move is exactly what Penn State needed to do in taking that monumental leap in rebranding itself after a horrific past few months.
Though several former players have voiced their displeasure with the hiring of an obscure NFL assistant coach, those players need to take a deep breath and rethink their position. Rather than belittling the move and encouraging recruits to decommit, former players should promote the school and support O’Brien. The most notable narrow-minded thinking comes from one of Penn State’s all-time greats LaVar Arrington. Arrington ranted, “I will put my Butkus in storage. I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage…jerseys, anything Penn State, in storage. Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that’s the school I will start to put memorabilia up in my home. I’m done. I’m done with Penn State. If they’re done with us, I’m done with them.”
This type of attitude is exactly what is wrong with Penn State and how prominent alumni are just adding to the challenges faced by the university and the program. There is a crop of talented kids on the current roster and an impressive array of commits that need support from alumni not negativism. Arrington should just keep his mouth shut if he really feels that way and should focus on helping the new coach and the new recruits.
Bill O’Brien brings to the sidelines discipline and offense. These are two characteristics that were dissipating under the Paterno regime. O’Brien wont tolerate the nonsense that landed players in Paterno’s doghouse and he has the know-how to groom a quarterback and an offense that Penn State hasn’t seen since the days of Kerry Collins. O’Brien was also smart enough to recognize that Penn State has a solid defense and that’s why coach Larry Johnson will remain a Nittany Lion.
42-year-old coach O’Brien bears a heavy burden of rebuilding the image of a once proud program. Now is the time to support O’Brien and the university. It is a shame former players are criticizing the coach without even giving the man a chance. Fortunately, the current players don’t share or express the same feelings as they are excited about Bill O’Brien and what he brings to the gridiron.
At the end of the day, Penn State President Rodney Erickson and athletic director Dave Joyner had no choice but to hire someone with no ties to the program. It will certainly be a challenge and it will not be easy, but O’Brien has the pedigree and the makings to be a great head coach.
O’Brien inked a 5-year deal worth $950,000 per year with a 5% increase each season. He will make an additional $1 million from radio and television spots and $350,000 annually from Nike.
