My thoughts could sway towards the wrestling program in saying when Troy left, they were going to look from within to coach. They were going to get a guy who coached here before but the university actually went out and found the best guy for the program! Now did the stars align and Cael want to come here and coach? It sounded like it! So the question now, is how do we go out and find a big name coach to “come to penn state” who wants to stay here, keep up the success with honor legacy Joe had, and still get paid chump change…. i don’t think it’s going to happen….

We’ll see though…. the wrestling program did it…. maybe the football program can go out and find that diamond also.

Here is a member of administration openly discussing the next head coach and who does he name by name? Tom Bradley. I know this means little in actual changes, but it shows his name is on the minds of the powers that be.

It’s this guy’s job to worry about these kinds of things.

But yeah I don’t think PSU will have too much trouble raising money as long as they keep winning and they don’t hire me as head coach.

I don’t think money is going to be an issue with a new coach. I think perhaps they would say that so when they inevitably hire from within the program, they have an excuse for everyone who thinks that is not the best route. You know, the people that will shout “NEPOTISM” if we don’t go outside. It appears to be some form of posturing if you ask me. Even if we do hire outside the program, which coach (that has been reasonably assumed to be a target) would command that? Golden? Schiano, I mean really? I guess maybe a Dungy or Cowher, but those were pipedreams anyways. I would guess they end up giving Bradley a 2-3 million dollar deal anyways, with a significant raise to LJSR to stay on board.

But I mean, it is terrifying to think of. Like leaving home for the first time type of thing. We have the best set up in the world at PSU and its scary as hell to think of that ending. Sooner rather than later.

That may not be coherent. Sorry. Damn 8 ams.

I know a trustee or two, you know those rich guys that give dump trucks full of cash to the university every year.

The people I know are ready to pony up for a new coach, they want a high profile guy, and they want someone from outside the program. They’ve been on Joe’s ass for almost a decade now (or longer), and the only thing that has kept them from riding him out of town is that every time Joe’s on the ropes he bounces back and has a great season.

I’m not saying these guys will get their way, and I’m not indicating I know anything specific or juicy (I definitely don’t), but these guys toss around a million dollars like most people do a $20. If the school wants a Nick Saban, these guys will pony up.

to put out in the media the fact that PSU does not have an endless supply of money. I say this based on the timing and out-of-the-ordinary candor of the article.

We could pay him 20$ more to coach both football and basketball thus leading us to dual national championships.

I think the AD would be perfectly content being a second-tier Big Ten school.

It’s very easy to imagine a scenario. JoePa retires and Tom Bradley gets elevated to head coach on the cheap. Some assistants leave for greener pastures, but four or five guys stay on. After eight years PSU’s record under Bradley is 60-40 with nothing but an Outback Bowl victory and a Cap One appearance to show for the era. The Athletic Department will to continue him on because the stadium is still full, he puts together winning seasons (with laughably easy non-con opponents) and firing coaches "isn’t what we do at Penn State"?

It would STINK being a Nittany Lion football fan. I hope this doesn’t occur.

If there’s a need to get funds to hire the best possible head football coach, those funds will be collected. It’s not like basketball where we’re essentially forced to hire a mediocre coach at the lowest salary in the Big Ten because there aren’t eager boosters willing to pitch in a few million dollars. I’m quite sure that we have many rich alumni who are dying to throw money into the pot and stamp their influence on the post-Paterno era.

Maybe Bradley’s the best guy for the job, who could possibly know? But if he’s the hire, they have to be prepared for a lot of re-shuffling on the coaching staff. Hall and Anderson would be gone. Jay’s probably your new offensive coordinator. LJ…who knows if he’s be satisfied as the D.C. after he’s been passed over.

I’m utterly shocked that Bradley’s name was brought up. Oh, and the plane thing? They better knock that notion out of their heads right now — that’s a necessary tool for any big-time football program not currently run by Joe Paterno. You know why Joe doesn’t use the plane? Because he’s Joe F’ing Paterno and he’s 83 years old. He doesn’t feel like it, and results mostly prove tha the doesn’t need it. It’s a whole different story for the next coach.

When Joe is done…. we can get a new Strength/Conditioning program as well

I get 3 things from the article:

1. Joe has been an unparalleled value.
2. We shouldn’t expect that of the next coach.
3. It’s probably Tom Bradley’s job if he wants it, followed by a large group of people including but not limited to (in no order): LJ Sr., Jim Caldwell, Bill Cowher, Al Golden, JayPa, and Greg Schiano.

None of this is news to any PSU fan. How long ’til the Blue-White game?

New money vs. old money, internal vs. external, Bradley vs. LJ, trustees vs. Spanier/Curley. It’s going to play out in spectacular fashion, one way or another.

This Joe retirement saga is like a leading donkey with a carrot tied to a string and they’re leading the poor bastard on and on for 20+ years. Maybe the donkey doesn’t even like carrots, he actually just likes walking, but they keep dangling the frickin carrot anyway.

What I’m trying to say is, I feel like a donkey and Joe’s retirement is a carrot tied to a string tied to a stick being dangled by Penn State as they ride my ass around. I don’t want the damn carrot, ok?

1. Ever hear of Rich Kaluza before? No? Don’t bet on ever hearing from him again. Doubtful he’s going to be giving many more interviews…. not sure he’s the voice the AD’s office wants the public to hear. I can assure you no one in power green lighted this interview.
2. Donations aren’t going to stop when Joe retires. UNLESS – the administration butchers his exit, as they almost did in ‘04. Now, it seems they’ve learned the error of their ways, and will let Joe call the shots, provided we’re still performing at our current level of New Year’s Bowls and top Big Ten finishes.
3. Trustees won’t get the final vote on who the next coach is, and even if they do…. don’t bet on them being eager to bring in a new hotshot coach from the outside. They like things “the Penn State Way”. Success with Honor, and so forth. And, there’s no guarantee that “the Penn State Way” lives on when they hire Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly, or whatever the coach du jour is when Joe retires.

I don’t know where Penn State is going these days. It seems it exists solely to generate money. Whenever I got back to PA, I see Penn State bumper stickers on cars, Penn State flags on houses, Penn State lion dolls in freaking Rutter’s. When I’m at a game, we bow down to our corporate sponsors every ten minutes. Has tuition gone up since I graduated in ’97? The answer is probably yes. So where is all this money going? For more buildings? To expand the empire?

Thankfully it doesn’t go to someone like JoePa, right? Oh the horrors that Penn State will experience when he retires. His Catholic sainthood has kept the university from the harsh realities of a cruel outside world so that dear Ole State may horde as much money as possible.

Ugh, I hate writing this stuff, but that’s how I feel. But people like Kaluza need to grow up. One day, he’s gonna have to write another zero at the end of the check to keep the engine running because the free oil from the JoePa derricks ain’t gonna insulate us anymore.

Has the fact that JoePa’s salary been vastly under market value caused the basketball program to suffer through mediocrity all these years? It would seem to me that one reason we haven’t had a “name” basketball coach is because we weren’t willing to pay him market value as well. I can’t believe that the powers in charge would allow the salary of a coach in another sport (one that doesn’t bring in nearly the same amount of revenue as football) to excede JoePa’s salary. So one could conclude that JoePa = basketball failure. By paying Bradley fair market share might get us a hoops coach that could recruit real D-I players.

on a Mack Brown. May I suggest a shiny Tim Brewster for around 1 million a year?

/sarcasm (I wouldn’t wish him on a team I like. He’s just fine for Minn. though)