2013 Penn State Football - Surviving the "Trouble Years"

[terrynever]

Well, the reaction to the gradual scholarship sanction reduction is interesting. BOB and his players are pleased but would rather focus on their next game. The Paternophiles, led by Franco Harris, think it's good but believe the NCAA should never have levied sanctions on Joe or the program to begin with. Somewhere in the middle is a meeting ground for Penn State alums. Most think like our own SoxJox, that this program needs to keep BOB around for a long time, so easing the scholarship sanctions is a step in that direction.
 
Nobody wants to begin a conversation about the other sanctions, the $60M fine and bowl ban, that are directly connected to the scandal that never ends. Those seem indisputable.
 
It's still a really good time for the program and its backers to lay low and focus on what they really love, which is Saturday afternoons in the fall with a Big Ten opponent in town. As George Mitchell pointed out, the university is moving in the right direction and becoming a leader in some of the issues that the scandal cast a spotlight on. The head football coach answers to the athletic director. The chain of command is followed right up the ladder. 
 
Penn State will be choosing a new President within the next year. And the current AD is going to be gone not long afterwards. So we're still in a period of transition and recovery at Penn State. There is a major problem with added costs to season ticketholders in recent years that is contributing to the loss of about 5,000 fans per game. I sat downtown in a bar for the first half of the Central Florida game and was surprised to learn that students now pay $40 per ticket to home games, which is why the place was filled with students who would rather spend their money on beer while watching the game on big screen TVs. Crowds have averaged 92,000 for the non-conference home games. The Big Ten home opener against Indiana in nine days won't draw much more.
 
And here's a link to Elizabeth Smart's speaking appearance at Penn State last year at the first annual PSU forum on child abuse:
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/elizabeth-smart-praises-p_0_n_2050136.html

 

[WayBackVazquez]

There is a major problem with added costs to season ticketholders in recent years that is contributing to the loss of about 5,000 fans per game. I sat downtown in a bar for the first half of the Central Florida game and was surprised to learn that students now pay $40 per ticket to home games, which is why the place was filled with students who would rather spend their money on beer while watching the game on big screen TVs. Crowds have averaged 92,000 for the non-conference home games. The Big Ten home opener against Indiana in nine days won't draw much more.

 
Michigan's student tickets are $40 each also. Does PSU not sell student tickets only as season tickets? If they sell them individually, then yes, pretty much any program will have games (against crappy opponents) where students will skip out and watch on TV. (They may do that when they have bought the tickets as well, but such is life, and has nothing to do with the price.) If you're saying that the student season tickets are not selling because of the high price, the obvious (financial) solution is to set a deadline for purchase, and then open up the unsold tickets to the general public. Obviously, if you really want a larger number of students in the stands, then they should lower the price.

 

[terrynever]

 
Michigan's student tickets are $40 each also. Does PSU not sell student tickets only as season tickets? If they sell them individually, then yes, pretty much any program will have games (against crappy opponents) where students will skip out and watch on TV. (They may do that when they have bought the tickets as well, but such is life, and has nothing to do with the price.) If you're saying that the student season tickets are not selling because of the high price, the obvious (financial) solution is to set a deadline for purchase, and then open up the unsold tickets to the general public. Obviously, if you really want a larger number of students in the stands, then they should lower the price.

You're right. The kids will fill the student section for good conference matchups. They can buy tickets on a game by game basis. In my day, football tickets cost $2 per home game and they took it out of the general funds deposit you paid at the beginning of the year. If we had the option of watching from a downtown bar, the stadium would have been missing several thousand students for the bad games, even if our tickets were cheap. Back then, only ABC televised games and the Nits were limited to three or four appearances per year. Now all the games are televised on the B10 Network or elsewhere.
John Bacon's book "Fourth And Long" talks about how Michigan is commercializing everything about its athletic program, same as most of the big schools. Penn State has been moving down that road for the past decade but only started charging for seat licenses over the past few years.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Looks like there was no problem selling student tickets for the UM game. Overselling snafu.

 

[terrynever]

Good win for the Nits today. The kids are all right. Just 61 scholarship athletes in uniform and they are good enough to beat a solid Michigan team. For their reward, they earn a visit to Ohio State, the only quality team in the conference.

 

[terrynever]

Penn State gets a commit from Danvers, Mass. running back Johnathan Thomas, who originally verbaled to Maryland. Thomas is 5-11, 210 pounds and runs a 4.47 40. He suffered a knee injury and underwent surgery earlier this month.
 
From ESPN INsider story:
 
Penn State’s big recruiting week picked up some more steam late Sunday night when four-star running back Johnathan Thomas (Danvers, Mass./St. John’s Prep) flipped his commitment from Maryland to the Nittany Lions.

A four-star senior, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Thomas committed to Maryland over Arkansas on May 9, but started to think more and more about Penn State when the Nittany Lions threw an offer his way in September.
 
 
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/midwest/post?id=13462

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Any Nittany Lions fans going to the game tomorrow? Would be happy to have you around our tailgate.

 

[canderson]

Any Nittany Lions fans going to the game tomorrow? Would be happy to have you around our tailgate.

Hope you didn't freeze to death. Brutal with the wind today.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

I really wish I'd brought my gloves.  Rookie mistake.
 
Also, that PSU's kicker didn't suck.

 

[grsharky7]

Any Nittany Lions fans going to the game tomorrow? Would be happy to have you around our tailgate.

 
Wish I would've looked at this thread earlier.  We went up to the game yesterday as well.  We didn't make it up until 1 though because a couple of people in our group had some previous commitments that kept us from making it up earlier.  It was cold as hell, the wind was just brutal.  By the 4th quarter I was miserable.  Good game though!  
 
Heard a lot of comments during the game and after that the sanctions are hurting the team where they came up short-Special Teams.  Lots of walk ons on those units and they just got beat on several occasions.  

 

[terrynever]

Trouble Year No. 2 ends on a happy note with an impressive 31-24 road win over Wisconsin. I'm enjoying the Trouble Years more than the final seasons of the previous coach. We have a modern offense with a poised, smart QB who will get better and draw more elite recruits to the program. Expectations are low. Penn State fans are just enjoying the team and not worrying about the rankings. It's almost more fun this way. Enjoy a 7-5 season? Quite possible in our new sensibility. After all, it's still college football, which at its best is a beautiful sport to watch.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

I supported strong sanctions, but can't help being impressed with what the players and staff have done the past two years in the face of them. Good stuff.

 

[canderson]

They start next year getting more scholarships and I strongly believe in September or October the bowl ban will be lifted (most political bigwigs related to PSU have been working on this with Mitchell). That combined with a 7-5 season this year, O'Brien might get a shot at building a powerhouse sooner than anyone thought.

Hackenberg is legit and probably a major star. His freshman season stats are sick:

231-392
2,955 yards
20 TDs
10 Interceptions

 

[terrynever]

I supported strong sanctions, but can't help being impressed with what the players and staff have done the past two years in the face of them. Good stuff.

They've also got the chain of command back in proper perspective. The football coach reports to the AD, who will probably be replaced once a new President is chosen. Canderson's perspective seems pretty accurate. Right now, the emphasis is on completing a strong 2014 recruiting class. No bowl game enhances this process.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

I would never be caught dead supporting the ridiculous jurisprudence exhibited by the NCAA in the Sandusky case, but I'm equally impressed by the work the new staff and remaining players have done. In a strange twist, the sanctions provided the program something it would otherwise never have been able to achieve: a clean break from the influence of Paterno in the choice for a successor. This is the inadvertent gift to PSU football and its fans from the NCAA.

 

[berniecarbo1]

Something tells me the bowl ban will go away this offseason. Bill O'Brien is a real good coach and has transformed the program away from Paterno in a very seamless way. He is the real deal and PSU is very lucky to have him. Look for the Lions to have a very strong team in the next couple of years and be a force in the Big 10 sooner than most anticipated. Good job and good luck. BTW, put BC back on your OOC schedule. Nice game for both schools.

 

[SoxJox]

Yes, it was a nice ending, although Wisconsin looked aimless and unmotivated throughout the game.
 
And on this:

...modern offense with a poised, smart QB who will get better and draw more elite recruits to the program. 

 
For the 2014 recruiting class, they already have a verbal commit, Michael O'Connor, a top-tier, 4-star pro-style QB, as well as 5 other 4-stars and 10 3-stars.

 

[terrynever]

I would never be caught dead supporting the ridiculous jurisprudence exhibited by the NCAA in the Sandusky case, but I'm equally impressed by the work the new staff and remaining players have done. In a strange twist, the sanctions provided the program something it would otherwise never have been able to achieve: a clean break from the influence of Paterno in the choice for a successor. This is the inadvertent gift to PSU football and its fans from the NCAA.

You're dead right on this one, Fred. If the scandal never happened and Joe had retired after the 2011 season, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley likely would have been named the head coach, barely edging Jay Paterno. Unless Joe asked Mike Munchak to take over after one year as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. So yes, the scandal did help in one gigantic way. It allowed Penn State to bring in an high-tech offensive mind who quickly offered Christian Hackenberg a scholarship after looking at one reel of film.

 

[canderson]

Huh, they've gotten rid of LB coach Ron Vanderlinden. Maybe he's going to take over as DC somewhere.

 

[terrynever]

Huh, they've gotten rid of LB coach Ron Vanderlinden. Maybe he's going to take over as DC somewhere.

I know he's well-regarded but that was the worst linebacking season I've seen at Penn State in quite awhile.

 

[SoxJox]

And don't be surprised to see a replacement for John Butler at DC - of whom's BO'B's recent defense and support notwithstanding.  Quite honestly, while acknowledging the shortfalls in depth, yada yada yada, he seemed incapable at times of developing effective overall game plans or, in the face of exposed weaknesses in first halves, making later adjustments.  I'm not a fan.
 
And QB Coach Fisher's departure is likely more a sign that BO"B wanted to have much more influence and control over that position than most position coaches would likely suffer.  Just an opinion.

 

[canderson]

And don't be surprised to see a replacement for John Butler at DC - of whom's BO'B's recent defense and support notwithstanding.  Quite honestly, while acknowledging the shortfalls in depth, yada yada yada, he seemed incapable at times of developing effective overall game plans or, in the face of exposed weaknesses in first halves, making later adjustments.  I'm not a fan.
 
And QB Coach Fisher's departure is likely more a sign that BO"B wanted to have much more influence and control over that position than most position coaches would likely suffer.  Just an opinion.

I don't think Butler's going anywhere. Fisher leaving IMO means O'Brien gets an OC but he himself remains the QB coach.

 

[SoxJox]

 I guess we could have seen this one coming: Penn State quarterback Tyler Ferguson granted release, begins searching for next school
For those who may not be familiar, Penn State brought him in as a sophomore and #2-rated JUCO QB (at College of the Sequoias) in the country after #1-rated JUCO QB Jake Waters (Iowa Western) chose Kansas State over the Lions.
 
There had been reports that he might have been homesick just before the season began and had gone back to his Bakersfield, CA home before classes started.  A family member dismissed that rumor, although now it appears there may have been some truth to it.  He's a talented QB, so I can understand his desire to play elsewhere.  And with Penn State securing a verbal for the 2104 class from Michael O'Connor (see posting upthread), he likely saw the writing on the wall.

 

[SoxJox]

A little late posting this, but Christian Hackenberg was named the B1G's Freshman of the Year, following in the wake of WR Allen Robinson last year.
 
Hack's numbers: 231/392 (58.9%), 2955 yds, 20 TDs, 10 INT, Rating = 134 (#64 out of 126)
 
For comparison, Jameis Winston: 237/349 (67.9), 3820 yds, 38 TDs, 10 INT, Rating = 190 (#1)

 

[terrynever]

Not sure Penn State has ever produced a smarter student-athlete than John Urschel, named this year's college football Scholar-Athlete winner by the National Football Foundation. The fifth-year student from Buffalo, who got the last scholarship in 2008, has two math degrees already, one a masters, is working on a third, and has taught classes at Penn State this past semester.
 
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/12/10/college-football-nff-william-campbell-trophy-penn-state-john-urschel/3970433/

 

[terrynever]

Penn State gets verbal commitment from four-star DT Thomas Holley, a 6-foot-4, 300-pounder out of Brooklyn. He had offers from Florida, Ohio State, Alabama and Notre Dame, among others. Holley has been playing football for just two years as he focused on basketball and was considered the "next Shaq" until he stopped growing. Very quick for his size.
 
This signing should boost Penn State's 2014 class into top 20 nationally, which means nothing. But there's room for Holley to start right away in 2014. He admitted last week the loosening of scholarship limits on Penn State made this an easier choice.
 
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/_/id/173422

 

[sfip]

Penn State is the favorite to land 4-star guard Jared Cohen, who de-committed from Maryland last weekend.

 

[terrynever]

Penn State is the favorite to land 4-star guard Jared Cohen, who de-committed from Maryland last weekend.

BOB is a lot more aggressive about "flipping" verbal commitments to other schools than the previous regime. Urban Meyer certainly upped the ante in recruiting procedures when he took the Ohio State job and started chasing verbals within the conference. All perfectly legal and within the rules. It is something the entire Big Ten has to do in order to get better talent.

 

[canderson]

So who will be the next coach? Feeling pretty confident O'Brien will be named Texans coach by next Wednesday.

PSU had probably a top 15 recruiting class, they'll likely lose nearly all of them going to be a significant setback IMO for the program.

 

[terrynever]

Good point about recruiting.
 
I can understand why O'Brien would want to leave. His relationship with AD Dave Joyner has never been solid. Joyner had no experience in the field before he was appointed right after the crisis, and he is overmatched. Whenever Penn State picks a new President, Joyner will be gone. So there is a lot of uncertainty within the athletic department.
 
We are long past the point where loyalty is the binding point in any coach-school-player relationship. Coaches come and go. We all know that, except maybe us Penn Staters who never had to worry about longevity after Paterno turned down the Patriots in 1973 and became a lifer.
 
The only way to save the recruiting class is to make top recruiter and d-line coach Larry Johnson the head coach. That's probably not going to happen. But it would be a helluva ballsy move on somebody's part. Joyner wouldn't do it. The school will go look for a veteran coach with past ties to the university. Munchak, Al Golden, etc. They better find a smart OC to take over the offense and keep it moving forward.

 

[SoxJox]

It depends on what BO'B has really said behind the scenes to his first-year class of 2013 (e..g., "Christian, I promise you I'll be here for your entire tenure) and this year's follow-on verbals to date.  I honestly feel that BO'B is a man of his word, and if he has indeed made those assurances, then he likely will not go - or at least not just yet.  And the prospect of sanctions being further reduced to permit him to see the fruit of a fully-developed effort - with a full load of scholarships - just might tempt him to stay and see it through.
 
One other thing to consider is just how comfortable the O'Brien family might be in Happy Valley.  With son Jack suffering from lissencephaly and being treated by one of the nation's best pediatric medical facilities at Hershey, Bill and his wife Colleen may find themselves concluding the disruption would not be in the best interests of their elder son.  I don't know - just speculating.  It certainly seems the O'Brien's place their children's needs high up on the life-priority list.
 
As far as the names being thrown around, I think Munchak would be a disaster - both recruiting and coaching wise. So would Schiano.  I'm not sold on Golden- although there is the additional tie-in to the Patriots.    The common theme for all is their past connections to Penn State, either as a player or coach, or both.  I hope Penn State looks over the horizon - to someone like James Franklin, who has the energy to recruit very well, and has PA roots, if not Penn State ties.  Plus, he's offensively minded.
 
I just hope BO'B stays.  I'd love to see Christian Hackenberg and the army of young, big tight ends - and Allen Robinson if he'll stick around for one more year (dare we ask for 2?) fully develop their talents under a single regime.

 

[Average Reds]

It depends on what BO'B has really said behind the scenes to his first-year class of 2013 (e..g., "Christian, I promise you I'll be here for your entire tenure) and this year's follow-on verbals to date.  I honestly feel that BO'B is a man of his word, and if he has indeed made those assurances, then he likely will not go - or at least not just yet.  And the prospect of sanctions being further reduced to permit him to see the fruit of a fully-developed effort - with a full load of scholarships - just might tempt him to stay and see it through.
 
One other thing to consider is just how comfortable the O'Brien family might be in Happy Valley.  With son Jack suffering from lissencephaly and being treated by one of the nation's best pediatric medical facilities at Hershey, Bill and his wife Colleen may find themselves concluding the disruption would not be in the best interests of their elder son.  I don't know - just speculating.  It certainly seems the O'Brien's place their children's needs high up on the life-priority list.
 
As far as the names being thrown around, I think Munchak would be a disaster - both recruiting and coaching wise. So would Schiano.  I'm not sold on Golden- although there is the additional tie-in to the Patriots.    The common theme for all is their past connections to Penn State, either as a player or coach, or both.  I hope Penn State looks over the horizon - to someone like James Franklin, who has the energy to recruit very well, and has PA roots, if not Penn State ties.  Plus, he's offensively minded.
 
I just hope BO'B stays.  I'd love to see Christian Hackenberg and the army of young, big tight ends - and Allen Robinson if he'll stick around for one more year (dare we ask for 2?) fully develop their talents under a single regime.

 
I am not trying to pick on you, but this is an incredibly naive perspective to have for any college coach.
 
I have no insights as to what O'Brien will do.  But I don't see his promises to the recruits as being a factor either way, since if he turns down the Texans, he'll cite his "commitment to his kids" as the reason (why not?  It's a freebie) and if he takes the job, he'll say that he was sincere, but it was "an opportunity that he couldn't pass up."
 
The fact of the matter is that he negotiated a lower exit cost after this season for a reason, and that reason wasn't that he's a man of his word.  He's a professional coach, and he will act in his interests, like just about every professional coach in any position.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

He's gone. It's too good of an opportunity. This is the nature of professional work. And let's not forget that PSU will turn right around and hire or at least interview someone who most likely promised a different set of young men that he'd be right wherever if they committed to whatever school, and views PSU as a huge professional step up. BOB is going to face some criticism because of the nature of what happened with the sanctions, how he promised to commit to recruits and more importantly, existing players, if they would stick it out with him. There's some hypocrisy there, but what was he going to say? "Stay/come to PSU. I'm going to be skipping town when my dream job comes along, but don't worry yourself with that"? Of course not. This will be an annual event until he takes an NFL job. If they manage the transition the right way and hire the right person, they'll be fine. All things considered, it's been a pretty good two years.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

To add, I wouldn't draw conclusions based on the condition and care of his son. He's already changed jobs three or four times since his birth, and he'll eventually take a job where they also have great hospitals. It's not like he's possibly taking a job with the Mogadishu Texans.

 

[terrynever]

 
I am not trying to pick on you, but this is an incredibly naive perspective to have for any college coach.
 
I have no insights as to what O'Brien will do.  But I don't see his promises to the recruits as being a factor either way, since if he turns down the Texans, he'll cite his "commitment to his kids" as the reason (why not?  It's a freebie) and if he takes the job, he'll say that he was sincere, but it was "an opportunity that he couldn't pass up."
 
The fact of the matter is that he negotiated a lower exit cost after this season for a reason, and that reason wasn't that he's a man of his word.  He's a professional coach, and he will act in his interests, like just about every professional coach in any position.

What's interesting to me is how sophisticated the recruits are these days. 4-star recruit Thomas Holley talks about it being a business, says O'Brien might have been honest with him on his official recruiting day in October ... what happened in December is not a lie, just business.
Nobody's naïve anymore, not after all the coaching flip-flops we have seen in college football and hoops over the years.
I've always been a cynic. When Paterno was dealing with the Patriots in 1972, I wrote a story in the State College morning paper saying he was gone. The next day, he changed his mind and I looked like a fool. But what remains with me is how innocent we were 40 years ago. Paterno was making around $70,000 in salary. After he initially accepted the offer from BIlly Sullivan, he and his wife slept fitfully. The next morning he asked Sue Paterno "what did it feel like to sleep with a millionaire?" and she started crying. Joe didn't want to leave either so they called Billy back and said no, much to the delight of the Penn State community. That is what made him special, long before Sandusky ran amuck. Joe turned down big money to stay with the college program and the kids he coached.
 
O'Brien is already a millionaire and he can double his salary right away in the pros. Once you turn pro, you are one bad season away from the unemployment line, as Rod Chudzinski and others found out on Monday. A job like Penn State promises lifetime security. O'Brien wants something bigger, and nobody should stand in his way.
 
Here's the link to what the recruits are saying:
 
http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2013/12/penn_state_commits_hoping_bill.html

 

[BigMike]

 
O'Brien is already a millionaire and he can double his salary right away in the pros. Once you turn pro, you are one bad season away from the unemployment line, as Rod Chudzinski and others found out on Monday. A job like Penn State promises lifetime security. O'Brien wants something bigger, and nobody should stand in his way.
 
Here's the link to what the recruits are saying:
 
http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2013/12/penn_state_commits_hoping_bill.html

 
Yeah you can get fired in the NFL,  and face it,  this isn't Paterno anymore,   BOB throws a couple 6 wins seasons on the board in a row when the sanctions are done, and you can get fired pretty quickly at Penn St as well.    There is no idea of lifetime security anymore.   Look at Mack Brown, won one National title,  lost another title game, won 25 games the last 3 years and is fired.
 
BOB might fail in Houston,  if he does he will be 20 million richer, and probably able to fall back to almost any college job that is out there

 

[axx]

It's the same reason that Chris Peterson left Boise... BoB might not be at the top of people's lists if he stays at Penn State and they are terrible the next couple of years due to the sanctions.

 

[terrynever]

You both make good points about the NFL pros and cons and also staying too long at PSU.

 

[canderson]

BOB got a big bonus today from PSU.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

ESPN reporting it's done and will be announced Saturday.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

I don't think several 6-win seasons are/would have been in O'Brien's future if he stays/had stayed. They're getting five more scholarships every year and it's highly likely they're bowl-eligible very soon. If it hasn't already happened, it won't. The worst was over for him. Not sure now if their best recruits go elsewhere. It puts the program in quite the pickle if they don't strike fast.

 

[terrynever]

This news also fires up the Paternophiles, who are already tweeting insinuations of disloyalty and saying this is what happens when you hire someone not connected to Penn State. Forgetting, of course, that Paterno and Rip Engle came from Brown and O'Brien from the pros.

If the school hires a. Search committee, they'll lose half the 2014 recruits. They could get the Duke coach hired by Sunday if they deal directly.

 

[canderson]

I don't think several 6-win seasons are/would have been in O'Brien's future if he stays/had stayed. They're getting five more scholarships every year and it's highly likely they're bowl-eligible very soon. If it hasn't already happened, it won't. The worst was over for him. Not sure now if their best recruits go elsewhere. It puts the program in quite the pickle if they don't strike fast.

I think they get Franklin. He has ties to PA.

 

[canderson]

This news also fires up the Paternophiles, who are already tweeting insinuations of disloyalty and saying this is what happens when you hire someone not connected to Penn State. Forgetting, of course, that Paterno and Rip Engle came from Brown and O'Brien from the pros.
If the school hires a. Search committee, they'll lose half the 2014 recruits. They could get the Duke coach hired by Sunday if they deal directly.

Via one of my friends' FB: "O'Brien spent less time here than silas redd. And he fucked up the uniforms. Good riddance."

They all need to stfu.

 

[BigMike]

I don't think several 6-win seasons are/would have been in O'Brien's future if he stays/had stayed. They're getting five more scholarships every year and it's highly likely they're bowl-eligible very soon. If it hasn't already happened, it won't. The worst was over for him. Not sure now if their best recruits go elsewhere. It puts the program in quite the pickle if they don't strike fast.

 
My point wasn't that there were a bunch of 6 wins seasons in the future.  My point was you can't talk about a lifetime position.  Just like the NFL all it would take would be a couple mediocre seasons and the pitchfork and torches crowd would have been coming for him

 

[terrynever]

 
My point wasn't that there were a bunch of 6 wins seasons in the future.  My point was you can't talk about a lifetime position.  Just like the NFL all it would take would be a couple mediocre seasons and the pitchfork and torches crowd would have been coming for him

It is a fair point you make. The Penn State part of me says my alma mater is different, if only because it had just two coaches from 1950 thru 2011. But there were a fair amount of alumni and big-time donors who wanted Joe gone in the early 2000s. I think if they do hire a true blue ex-Nit like Munchak, he would be safe for at least five years. Penn State is kind of like the Steelers, who don't change coaches. I kind of admire that in Pittsburgh. Continuity is good. It is the best reason you can make for the Patriots' success, too.
 
Alas, I don't think continuity lives at Penn State anymore. The scandal blew up the core of what the school used to be.

 

[SoxJox]

ESPN reporting...it's done.

 

[canderson]

Larry Johnson named interim coach. He is their main recruiter, they're hoping the class doesn't all leave.

There is a real possibility PSU might not have a scholarship QB next season, I doubt Hackenberg stays.

 

[Dgilpin]

James Franklin I think needs to be the number 1 target , I know a few people who played college football with him and are still in touch and they can't say enough good things about him. However his ability to make Vandy competitive in the SEC given their academic restrictions speaks for itself. Hackenburg will stay but Allen Robinson is definitely gone .

 

[canderson]

James Franklin I think needs to be the number 1 target , I know a few people who played college football with him and are still in touch and they can't say enough good things about him. However his ability to make Vandy competitive in the SEC given their academic restrictions speaks for itself. Hackenburg will stay but Allen Robinson is definitely gone .

He is their No. 1. Texas came calling too though, and depending what happens with Strong it might be a choice for him.