Comments on: Bill O’Brien landing on NFL radar screen

By: nflofficeadmin

nflofficeadmin — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:58:34 +0000

Right up there with Bobby Petrino

By: thetooloftools

thetooloftools — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:32:30 +0000

If he leaves, after telling all those players to stay, he is really going to look bad. Penn State will sugar coat it as they do everything though. That school has no focus in upper management. They let “others” handle it (who may wind up in prison) and now that they have to call the shots, they don’t know how.

By: tdk24

tdk24 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:26:26 +0000

Being on the Browns short list is not something to be proud of.

By: eatitfanboy

eatitfanboy — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:21:40 +0000

Kind of surprised by the factual errors in this story. While I am used to you coming to conclusions I don’t agree with, at least they are usually based upon accurate facts.

First, after botching the initial non-denial denial, he did (as greggyd717 pointed out) later say he was not leaving. And as several have pointed out, his contract specifically addresses possible NCAA sanctions.

Now I’ve seen enough coaching shenanigans in my time to know it always “never say never” with these guys, but the facts seem to make it much less likely that O’Brien leaves than you are making it sound.

By: dutchman1350

dutchman1350 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:04:31 +0000

I think there is only me team he would leave for…New England. He knows NFL is very cut throat, and could be looking for another job in three years.

By: greggyd717

greggyd717 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:03:14 +0000

His contract was extended by as many years as the sanctions affected so it was extended by four. He absolutely knew something could happen. I also love how the first paragraph reads “Last month, Penn State coach Bill O’Brien declined to commit to remaining with the Nittany Lions, given the hypothetical possibility that the NFL will come calling.”

Bill O’Brien came out after initially not answering the question and said following the team’s final game that he would be back in 2013. Let us not forget that any team that wants O’Brien would have to pay that huge buyout in addition to his salary. That’s asking a lot.

By: donmcg2012

donmcg2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:00:11 +0000

Why would he agree to an extension under those circumstances? Seems quite the opposite should apply.

By: beavertonsteve

beavertonsteve — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:59:01 +0000

I don’t think there is a coach that has earned more respect in the NCAA or even the NFL in the last year. If he leaves for an NFL job 99% of that will be forgotten. He’d just be the guy that preached loyalty and perseverance to a group of current players and recruits and then abandoned them by bolting for greener pastures.

By: steelcity333

steelcity333 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:57:32 +0000

Don’t go anywhere Bill. As a PSU fan, I don’t want you leaving, you did a hell of a job this year.

By: kylecleric

kylecleric — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:51:26 +0000

Bill O’Brien is better off staying with Penn St. He has the opportunity to make something very special there.

By: sportsmeccabi

sportsmeccabi — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:51:07 +0000

I give this dude a lot of credit for taking on that challenge. Penn State was actually very competitive this year.

By: rca26

rca26 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:49:58 +0000

By all indications, Bill O’Brien isn’t a Saban/Todd Graham/Tuberville pile of crap, so I would think he’s not going to be coaching in the NFL next year. If he were, I don’t think Penn State would have had such a good year. Rewarding his remaining players’ loyalty seemed like a big part of their success.

But hey, you never know these days.

By: pastabelly

pastabelly — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:47:59 +0000

Billy needs to get out of Happy Valley. No quarterback plus scholarship sanctions make that job at PSU nearly impossible.

By: maltarz

maltarz — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:46:00 +0000

I was under the impression that he had a clause in his contract that, if the NCAA levied sanctions, his contract was automatically extended by two (I believe) extra years.

Seems like he was well aware sanctions were possible.