Obie...

[fastlax16]

He deserves a lot of credit. The program stayed together on his watch. I still don't think he'd win an NC anywhere at the college level. He would focus all of his recruiting energy on his favorite recruiting positions of QB, TE and WR, which he clearly did at PSU. Yes, he had limited scholarships but I feel that he would have had about the same focus with more scholarships.

Perhaps most telling was his unwillingness to hire an OC, and the way he treated his QB coach and LB coach, firing them even when he knew he was going to quit. Those actions told me that he was a control freak, unable to delegate on offense, cared primarily about getting recognition for himself, and was possibly passive aggressive.

I don’t disagree but I don’t think the bar for success at that point was NC. Looking back it’s honestly amazing that Penn state never had a losing record. Without O’Brien there is nothing left for Franklin to build on. Every coach has flaws. If I ran into O’Brien on the street id thank him for his contributions to keeping the ship afloat.

 

[JeffClear]

It may happen, but, I'm not sure where he could coach in college. Perhaps Maryland, but he likely realizes that situation is a uphill battle. Maybe he just wouldn't care as long as they dramatically overpaid him, which they might.

His best situation would be some Big XII team, where he could play zero defense and score 70 ppg.

There are a lot of college football teams, he would get a shot somewhere.

After his performance in Houston, I don’t see an NFL team giving him a head coaching job any time soon.

 

[91Joe95]

OB served his purpose, but James is a huge upgrade for PSU...

Yep, roll over like an idiot for the sanctions.

 

[KC-KS-Lion]

Perhaps, but, I do recall the utter lack of preparation vs. OSU in 2013. And the pointless 4th down gambles that gave PSU its only loss ever to Indiana.

And, albeit we had limited scholarships, the total disregard for OL recruiting was unforgivable and PSU still has not totally recovered.

Besides his relative lack of attention to the OL, I would list his management of the defensive coaching staff as puzzling.
The way he treated Hackenburg to me indicated he was auditioning for a pro job.
I will agree he was what we needed for the first few years after Joe and during the sanctions.
I would think he experienced more than a few pleasant surprises, and was taught as much as he taught, and that he owes McGloin and Mauti more that a few rounds.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Probity adds inflection and punctuation when there needs to be a sense of urgency. It is not necessary to say pass the bleeping potatoes at the family dinner table. But when you need to get the attention of a group, saying something like “I don’t want to see a single one of you bastards late for another god-dammed class/practice/formation. Insert f bombs to ramp it up further.

 

[SUPERTODD]

O’Brien is a much better X’s and O’s coach than you guys apparently realize. He’ll do ok for himself.

Maybe so on offense. What has he shown as someone who is also responsible for defense and special teams? He promoted a clown who presided over a historically bad defense here and has never had a dominant defense in Houston despite significant talent. The internet would run out of room if I started listing the special teams debacles while he was here.

He also has major trouble evaluating talent. He really believed Hackenberg was a better QB than McSorely. His huge free agent QB addition was an embarrassing failure. His upside is as a coordinator. He isn’t a head coach.

 

[Art]

Maybe so on offense. What has he shown as someone who is also responsible for defense and special teams? He promoted a clown who presided over a historically bad defense here and has never had a dominant defense in Houston despite significant talent. The internet would run out of room if I started listing the special teams debacles while he was here.

He also has major trouble evaluating talent. He really believed Hackenberg was a better QB than McSorely. His huge free agent QB addition was an embarrassing failure. His upside is as a coordinator. He isn’t a head coach.

O'Brien never had McSorley to evaluate.

 

[RTLH]

I had an interesting conversation with a former employee of the Houston Texans today. I’m not going to reveal his employment position or his name out of discretion but when I mentioned Obie and that I am a Penn Stater this guy said “James Franklin is a significant upgrade than Bill O’Brien. Penn State is much better off.” I asked why and he said “Bill O’Brien is one of the most arrogant and abusive guys he’s worked for as a player or coach.” He elaborated and I shared how he played the University for a contract extension and a bonus.

With that the conversation ended abruptly because this guy had other rhings to attend to.

Interesting...I never expected to hear that.

What do you expect from someone out of the Belechik mold?

And if anyone thinks he was not using PSU to audition for an NFL job think again.
When he interviewed with the Eagles and Browns after 2012 shouldn't that have told you he was greasing the skids to get out of town.
As far as how Obrien played the PSU administration looked at how dysfunctional they were. That is all you need to know.

 

[fastlax16]

He really believed Hackenberg was a better QB than McSorely.

You mean James Franklin?

 

[BlueBand]

All of these guys are dicks to some extent, or else they don't make it to the NFL. There are only 32 of them.

Only 32 dicks in the NFL? When did it become the WNBA?

 

[sluggo72]

Seems he's starting 2 bookends at OT
One from App State the other from
Bucknell who I think played more basketball there than FB, I don't feel like looking it up though

 

[acg116]

Besides his relative lack of attention to the OL, I would list his management of the defensive coaching staff as puzzling.
The way he treated Hackenburg to me indicated he was auditioning for a pro job.
I will agree he was what we needed for the first few years after Joe and during the sanctions.
I would think he experienced more than a few pleasant surprises, and was taught as much as he taught, and that he owes McGloin and Mauti more that a few rounds.

I’ll give him a pass on the oline, I think he was anticipating being able to find diamonds in the rough and walkons on the ol and use his relatively low schollys for skill positions players.

 

[YorkLion]

I met Coach O'Brien on a few occasions while he was at Penn State and always found him very friendly and accommodating. He brought my energy back as a fan to PSU football and will never forget that.

 

[maxxedout]

Foul language is overrated. Actions speak louder than words.

Expletives and yelling are required by those who have already lost control.

 

[RTLH]

I met Coach O'Brien on a few occasions while he was at Penn State and always found him very friendly and accommodating. He brought my energy back as a fan to PSU football and will never forget that.

There were some who said at the coaches caravans and other speaking engagements he could be a bit abrupt. I never saw that si I cant confirm. He was not as engaging as Joe and James. But in all fairness his personality was not the face of the university type. He was just a football coach.
Again he is out of the Belechik mold.

 

[JWB389]

I’ll give him a pass on the oline, I think he was anticipating being able to find diamonds in the rough and walkons on the ol and use his relatively low schollys for skill positions players.

This was my thought as well. He had a plan with limited scholarships to use them on skill guys. That was probably the right decision too. He figured you're not going to win with no skill guys. He had to pick his poison.

 

[marshall23]

He under achieved his first year. How did they lose to Ohio and Virginia? There was plenty of veteran and future NFL talent on that team.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

I still thank OB and JF for the jobs they did under CRAZY circumstances. That was not a normal hire under normal conditions. He had to re-recruit his entire damn team while being crazy hammered wrongfully by the NCAA....but hey...let's bring him up 1-2 times a year so the butt hurt Joe Guys only club can cry Al Golden or Scrap wasn't hired.

 

[step.eng69]

dick, you want a dick,
i'll give ya a dick, Here's a Fort Dix's dick

 

[RTLH]

I still thank OB and JF for the jobs they did under CRAZY circumstances. That was not a normal hire under normal conditions. He had to re-recruit his entire damn team while being crazy hammered wrongfully by the NCAA....but hey...let's bring him up 1-2 times a year so the butt hurt Joe Guys only club can cry Al Golden or Scrap wasn't hired.

Agree 100%.
Neither OB or CJF were coming in here with a silver platter to work off of.
They were going to make mistakes along the way.

 

[NitneLiun]

We could have done much worse than Obie. The program could have died very easily. Instead, it had two winning seasons. You have to give him credit for even considering the job. He seemed to have it pretty nice as the NE Pats OC.

We alway knew he was an NFL guy and would go back to the NFL if the right opportunity came along. My only disappointment is that he didn't stick around for four years, but he did as well as we could have hoped during his two-year tenure.

 

[sluggo72]

We could have done much worse than Obie. The program could have died very easily. Instead, it had two winning seasons. You have to give him credit for even considering the job. He seemed to have it pretty nice as the NE Pats OC.

We alway knew he was an NFL guy and would go back to the NFL if the right opportunity came along. My only disappointment is that he didn't stick around for four years, but he did as well as we could have hoped during his two-year tenure.

you are correct we could have done worse than B'OB. But really considering the job? He tried to be a HC in the NFL that off season, but lack of HC experience seemed to hold him back, so PSU checked off that box. He was out any way as OC in NE, they didnt bring Josh McDaniels back to hold FLO's clip board.

 

[Obliviax]

that same thing is said a hundred times a day about every successful person in a high position. True or untrue, who knows? I am glad he was here. He was the perfect bridge between Paterno and CJF.

 

[Nitt1300]

I think it's obvious that he was the right guy at the time, and it's equally obvious that he was never going to be a long term solution.

I just give him a tip of the hat and move on.

 

[MJG-90]

I’ll give him a pass on the oline, I think he was anticipating being able to find diamonds in the rough and walkons on the ol and use his relatively low schollys for skill positions players.

If that was his plan, it was a bad plan. You put solid fronts on both sides of the ball and you'll hold your own. Then invest in a QB. Do that and you'll find solid RBs and WR's that will be plenty effective.

Without great players in the trenches, the QB has no time to throw to the wideouts. A great RB won't get out of the backfield. And the other team will run all over you.

OB was trying to lure good linemen on both sides of the ball. He just didn't get any to commit. He did a solid enough job otherwise that we were able to rebound quickly once the sanctions were lifted. So I'll give him plenty of credit.

 

[MJG-90]

He under achieved his first year. How did they lose to Ohio and Virginia? There was plenty of veteran and future NFL talent on that team.

The team couldn't score. It took several games for the offense to begin to gel. Remember how many games it took the offense to gel under JoMo? It doesn't happen week one very often.

 

[Erial_Lion]

He under achieved his first year. How did they lose to Ohio and Virginia? There was plenty of veteran and future NFL talent on that team.

One of those future NFL players had the worst game of his career in Charlottesville. Even just a “really bad” game and we win it.

 

[acg116]

If that was his plan, it was a bad plan. You put solid fronts on both sides of the ball and you'll hold your own. Then invest in a QB. Do that and you'll find solid RBs and WR's that will be plenty effective.

Without great players in the trenches, the QB has no time to throw to the wideouts. A great RB won't get out of the backfield. And the other team will run all over you.

OB was trying to lure good linemen on both sides of the ball. He just didn't get any to commit. He did a solid enough job otherwise that we were able to rebound quickly once the sanctions were lifted. So I'll give him plenty of credit.

conversely, I recall how having a decent line but utter lack of playmakers in 2003 and 2004 killed us. Sprinkle in dwill, king, and butler in '05 and it was a changed team.

 

[psuro]

I think it's obvious that he was the right guy at the time, and it's equally obvious that he was never going to be a long term solution.

I just give him a tip of the hat and move on.

Just give him a couple of twists of the throttle. Out of respect.

 

[RTLH]

If that was his plan, it was a bad plan. You put solid fronts on both sides of the ball and you'll hold your own. Then invest in a QB. Do that and you'll find solid RBs and WR's that will be plenty effective.

Without great players in the trenches, the QB has no time to throw to the wideouts. A great RB won't get out of the backfield. And the other team will run all over you.

OB was trying to lure good linemen on both sides of the ball. He just didn't get any to commit. He did a solid enough job otherwise that we were able to rebound quickly once the sanctions were lifted. So I'll give him plenty of credit.

As I have posted several times here, I have a friend in the agent business. He is very well tied into the Patriots. Rarely gives me inside information and never has given me anything on the Patriots.
He did tell me after the fact that he never felt O'Brien was a long term fit for PSU.
Even felt PSU should not have hired him.
The only communication he ever had with Obrien was well before the Patriots when Obrien was searching for an agent.
Now he talks to Obrien all the time.

 

[mn78psu83]

FWIW:

Bushwood’s head must be melting

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

From a team that scored 19 points per game in 2011....... ONE HUNDRED AND TENTH IN THE COUNTRY. One of the most cluster-f^cked offenses in the history of ever.

And then, from that offense......

QB - Lost Bolden and Jones..... was left with nothing - NOTHING - but walk-on Matt “Pick Six” McGloin at the position (and turned him into a legit B10 QB)

RB - Lost the top 5 backs, Redd, Green, Dukes, Beachum, and Suhey.
Left with 6th string slot/wildcat Belton (who got hurt in game 1)...... turned a backfield of two deep reserve fullbacks (Zwinak and Zordich) into one of the better units in the B10

TE - Lost the only 2 TE w playing experience (Szerba and Haplea)...... and used FR and Walk-Ons to get 5X the production out of the position.

WR - Lost top 5 receivers (Moye, Brown, Smith, Kersey, Drake).... total of SEVEN receptions on the combined roster of returnees .... and turned Robinson, Felder, Carter etc into one of the league’s better units.


If the prior staff had inherited the offense that O’Brien had to work with, they would have established records of futility that would stand for centuries. One never knows, but I doubt if they would have won more than 3 games (hard to win, when you can’t score )

And O’Brien managed to turn that abortion on offense into a solid 30 PPG offense.

Love him or hate him for his overall body of work....... what he did with that 2012 offense was the equivalent of walking on water.



Add to it that he had the balls to finally clean house of some of the real assholes on the roster (Drake, Bolden, Thomas, Kersey, Oakman, etc).... the type of folks who had been pissing the bed within the program for several years..... hard to imagine anyone getting more done in the locker room and on the field at that time.

(All that said, I’m glad he left when he did.... because he wasn’t a long-term solution and CJF was available)

Norm - I'll buy everything in your post except for referring to Rob Bolden in the asshole group. You never heard a peep out of the guy, stayed eligible, never the slightest whiff of any kind of trouble.

It's true that he could not play worth a hoot, couldn't play for us, couldn't play for LSU and couldn't even play for Eastern Michigan. But I always say it's not a crime to be a lousy football player, and it doesn't make him an asshole.

 

[RTLH]

Norm - I'll buy everything in your post except for referring to Rob Bolden in the asshole group. You never heard a peep out of the guy, stayed eligible, never the slightest whiff of any kind of trouble.

It's true that he could not play worth a hoot, couldn't play for us, couldn't play for LSU and couldn't even play for Eastern Michigan. But I always say it's not a crime to be a lousy football player, and it doesn't make him an asshole.

What I remember about Bolden was he just didn't have the mental toughness it takes to play football at this level. Kinda soured on the program when the going got tough.
All that said, that does not make him an asshole.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Just my $.02 but would be surprised if Bob ever set foot on a college campus again in any football-related area.

And just another $.02, don’t ever see him having another head coaching job after the Texans.

 

[RTLH]

Probably fair enough. Could deserve a separate category - - - - - for a guy who's presence was an ongoing FUBAR (even if he wasn't an asshole). The whole starter/non-starter, transfer/no-transfer bullshit that was a symptom of a rudderless ship.
One of BOB's first moves, IIRC, was to say - "There's the door".

Talk about a rudderless ship or more like shit right before OB arrived how do you have three 4 star QBs and they get beat out by a walk on.

 

[PSU_1991]

I told this story a few times, but I was at a number of practices during BOB’s time and was embarrassed at his foul language and demeanor. It doesn’t make a difference to me if someone curses, but there were women and children present, most of whom were relatives of recruits. It isn’t something I would expect from our coach and embarrassed me as a supporter of the university.

You should probably never attend a Pat Chambers basketball practice, from what I've been told.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Talk about a rudderless ship or more like shit right before OB arrived how do you have three 4 star QBs and they get beat out by a walk on.

True. Those three were a pair. One guy had severe academic concerns, partly because he went to a lousy high school and had real bad habits. Another guy was offered by Michigan, Michigan State and us - we just lost the recruiting battle - we signed him. The third guy threw the ball sidearm, you just knew that would never work. Never. It was just bad.

The guy nobody wanted made a million bucks in the NFL.

You never know.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

You should probably never attend a Pat Chambers basketball practice, from what I've been told.

Jay Wright, Gentleman Jay, GQ Jay, is notorious at practice. NOTORIOUS.

I am beside myself how he embarrasses Villanova.

 

[BBrown]

It was a blessing in disguise when he left. His days as ahead coach in the NFL are about over.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as a college coach again simply because it’s going to be a long time before someone gives him another job as a head coach in the nf.

Unless something has changed with him and he all of a sudden likes dealing with the "unwashed" (alums) and developed a sudden passion for recruiting he will be an NFL OC.

 

[NewPSUfan]

Maybe so on offense. What has he shown as someone who is also responsible for defense and special teams? He promoted a clown who presided over a historically bad defense here and has never had a dominant defense in Houston despite significant talent. The internet would run out of room if I started listing the special teams debacles while he was here.

He also has major trouble evaluating talent. He really believed Hackenberg was a better QB than McSorely. His huge free agent QB addition was an embarrassing failure. His upside is as a coordinator. He isn’t a head coach.

McSorley was never at PSU at the same time as O'Brien! Franklin recruited Trace to Vanderbilt and then brought him along when he took the PSU job!