O'Brien Retains Ron Vanderlinden, John Thomas on New Staff
by Kyle_Martin on Jan 9, 2012 6:04 AM EST
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You have probably all heard this by now, but Bill O'Brien will be retaining Ron Vanderlinden to coach the linebackers at Penn State. Vanderlinden joins Defensive Line Coach Larry Johnson and Strength Coach John Thomas as hold overs from Joe Paterno's staff. Vanderlinden has been Penn State's linebacker coach since 2001, though was promoted to co-defensive coordinator (along with Johnson) following the incident in November. Vanderlinden's success at his position is well documented. He has sent six linebackers to the NFL during his tenure and end of the year All Big Ten teams frequently include at least one linebacker from Penn State.
Reactions (on twitter) to the news that Vanderlinden would be staying have been pretty positive. The Big Ten Networks' Gerry DiNardo is praising O'Brien for the decision to keep Vanderlinden on staff:
Great move by Bill O'Brien keeping Ron Vanderlinden. Combination of great coach and great recruiter much like Larry Johnson. #Pennstate
Even Cory Giger said something positive about Penn State with regards this development:
Promise of new, modern offense, plus Johnson & Vanderlinden back as def. coaches provides best of both worlds for PSU. Column coming later.
Shocking, I know.
There hasn't been much in the way of player reaction to the news about Vanderlinden, but I'm sure that they're pleased that another coach that they're familiar with has been kept on the new staff.
Update (via Mike): Strength and conditioning coach John Thomas will also remain on staff. So, let the HIT debate continue.
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I was fine with the O’Brien hire from the start, at the very least, I wasn’t ready to burn the house down at the announcement. Then he had his press conference which I enjoyed very much. Add in that he announced LJ was staying and I was ecstatic. Now this? Seems to me that BOB has a pulse on things in State College. Excellent moves here.
Ed Snider is a crotchety old fuck.
That is all.
Hit?
I’m new to the message board and figuring out all theses acronyms? Can someone explain HIT and the seemingly disapproval of it?
by frxank on Jan 9, 2012 7:14 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Fail...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_intensity_training
"Wham! a homma. Wham! Another homma. Wham! Wham! Wham!"
by LowcountryLion on Jan 9, 2012 7:28 AM EST up reply actions
WHAT AN IDIOT
how dare he ask a question!!!
the only people that still say “fail” and think it’s funny is 11 year olds playing call of duty
"My kitchen is a mess y'all" Paula Deen
by Dr.TobiasFunke on Jan 9, 2012 8:11 AM EST up reply actions
I'm pretty sure the 'fail' remark here was self-deprecating
LcL referring to his own link post fail.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
Thank you, jtothep. Self-deprication...
…was the intention.
Dr. TobiasFunke, I am a married, 38-year-old professional and part-time student (at PSU via distance ed) and I still enjoy Call of Duty. It’s all good though!
"Wham! a homma. Wham! Another homma. Wham! Wham! Wham!"
by LowcountryLion on Jan 9, 2012 8:38 AM EST up reply actions
I see that now
I’ll let myself out
"My kitchen is a mess y'all" Paula Deen
by Dr.TobiasFunke on Jan 9, 2012 8:39 AM EST up reply actions
It's all good! :-)
"Wham! a homma. Wham! Another homma. Wham! Wham! Wham!"
by LowcountryLion on Jan 9, 2012 8:39 AM EST up reply actions
I had to Google your screen name, but...
…I really need to watch the Arrested Development series. :-)
"Wham! a homma. Wham! Another homma. Wham! Wham! Wham!"
by LowcountryLion on Jan 9, 2012 8:47 AM EST up reply actions
High intensity traning
Penn State doesn’t use free weights they use machines. The idea is to take the muscle to failure.
Thank God Thomas is back, what would the world be like without HIT to argue over?!??!
by Galen on Jan 9, 2012 7:28 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This is part of the healing process
going from arguing about who is or isnt the cops back to arguing which QB is worse and HIT. Things are moving back towards normal
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug.
#OccupyESPN
Follow @134Lounge
by skarocksoi on Jan 9, 2012 7:34 AM EST up reply actions 6 recs
When I told my wife they were keeping Jon Thomas, she said, and this is no lie
“Fucking nautilus!”
by Ab4PSU on Jan 9, 2012 2:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Now don't get me wrong,
I think Larry Johnson and Vanderlinden are great coaches, but how are they any different that Tom Bradley? LJ coached with Sandusky. How can all the “they have to clean house” people like Cory Giger and the rest of them be happy with those hires?
Oh, I get it, they are hypocrites.
When you put those black shoes on tomorrow, and you put on that jersey without your name on the back, and you put that plain helmet on, that's tradition. Penn State tradition!
--Who else?
I think it's a risk/reward situation
Bradley played and coached under Sandusky, with a connection that stretched back decades. I believe that Johnson coached under him less than 5 years. They (whoever “they” are) obviously think it’s an acceptable risk against possible outcry of the public at large. Media focus as been much less on the lower assistants.
Not saying I endorse the handling of the situation—just trying to posit a reason why Johnson and Vanderlinden may be viewed differently.
I think they actually considered Bradley keepable
and just decided to conduct a national search and consider all contenders. Joyner made it sound as if Bradley was a finalist in the eyes of the committee.
This does not contradict that possibility
But I think for fanbase-aimed PR, there’s no way Joyner would represent that Bradley was anything other than a great candidate and a very close second choice. Even if, for media-aimed PR purposes, Bradley had a zero percent chance of getting the HC job.
For the record
SbB thinks LJ is guilty too and we’re terrible people for liking him.
Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries
One of the worst remaining tabloid 'sports' sites
Sports by Brooks. If you google him, read about him instead of actually reading him.
It’s not even as entertaining as Us Weekly.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
Ahh...yes, familiar with him
Just didn’t connect the acronym. Thanks!
don't give his site any clicks
for the love of the Sports Gods, don’t
"There are too many Irish guys on this team"
Joesph Vincent Paterno
April, 2010
by letsgopsu on Jan 9, 2012 9:17 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
You know whose opinion matters least?
SbB. He’s trolling for hits.
@JPosnanski - I saw a girl crying tonight. When I asked why she said: "Because everybody lost."
#OccupyESPN
One of the unfortunate side effects of this whole mess
Sports by Brooks getting page hits and people thinking he was somehow credible.
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug.
#OccupyESPN
Follow @134Lounge
Aren't there any hacker nerds that read BSD that can bring him down?
LulzSec style?
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Jan 9, 2012 10:43 AM EST up reply actions
not sure
but there are some people with connections to government agencies who could certainly put him on some sort of list. I, for one, would sleep easy at night knowing the next time SbB tried to fly somewhere, he might have to experience a bit more searching from TSA…
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug.
#OccupyESPN
Follow @134Lounge
I dont wish that on any TSA agent
Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries
by Kyle_Martin on Jan 9, 2012 12:18 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions 1 recs
Definitely a risk
Now that we all have a second to step out of the emotion of the moment (myself included), I think it’s important to really see what a huge risk hiring Scrap would have been. This whole shitty mess (Sandusky) is just getting started. If it comes out a year from now that Scrap knew more than just rumors about Sandusky, they would have to fire him then and start the search over in order to have any sort of credibility.
Keeping Vandy and LJsr is definitely a risk for the same reason. Obviously they’re trying to keep this recruiting class somewhat alive and trying to make sure that we don’t totally bottom out, at the risk of having to take action at a later date if either of these two are implicated.
by SkellerDweller06 on Jan 9, 2012 8:09 AM EST reply actions
Disagree
Re: ‘this whole shitty mess is just getting started.’ It’s totally winding down.
Obviously, it’s not going to ever go away, but we’re far, far away from the beginning. Only through these sorts of trite assertions (‘blankety blank is a risk’), where commenters play the role of dumb media, does the shitty mess feel like it’s actually at the beginning again.
Rise above, people. Rise above.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
by jtothep on Jan 9, 2012 8:18 AM EST up reply actions 10 recs
I sure hope that you're right!
As long as no one else on staff is implicated during the trial/internal investigation, then we’re through the worst of it.
I mean, from a fan perspective it feels better to just accept the new coach and start moving forward. And from a PR messaging perspective that’s the mantra too.
But internally, if I were running the show, that’s the thing that scares me.
by SkellerDweller06 on Jan 9, 2012 8:43 AM EST up reply actions
That said
Just like with scrap; no way to prove (at this point) that either of these two great coaches did anything wrong. I like em both as coaches, don’t know them as people, but I’ve never heard anything but great things about both of them.
by SkellerDweller06 on Jan 9, 2012 8:44 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I also hope you are right, as does everyone
But if you’re not right, because some new scandal breaks out from the depths of hell because someone who ever had ties with the school knew something about this, hold on to your hat. As a fan I can imagine in the abstract what a nightmare that would be without making a “trite assertion.” The hiring cabal, such as it was, had a DUTY to vet anyone on staff who might be retained to minimize the risk that it would turn out one of them had some macabre McQueary experience some years ago. When they asked very direct questions (I know I’m giving these people the benefit of the doubt that, in at least this regard, they did their jobs), they had to weigh the veracity of the answers. Even if they were convinced, they might estimate that any given coach presented, say, a .01% “risk” of being Patient Zero in another media firestorm. Assigning such risk and making decisions accordingly isn’t trite, it’s the minimum I demand as an alum and rabid fan of this organization.
However, I am a perpetual optimist, and I don’t think any such scandal is in the cards. I also think we’re looking at the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m already getting excited about next year. A lot of that has to do with O’Brien’s press conference and the three staff members he’s keeping.
Eh, maybe so
Assigning such risk and making decisions accordingly isn’t trite, it’s the minimum I demand as an alum and rabid fan of this organization.
But that whole discussion is so ethereal—anybody’s (hiring cabal or bsd commenter or msm douchea) assertion as to the relative risk of hiring somebody who could be asked questions like ‘but what did he know?’
My contention, which agrees with Professor Sublime’s notion of the necessity of contributing to a society that requires Trust over Suspicion, is that the collective narrative—here on BSD—actually has a say & a sway in and to the broader narrative outside this lovable living room. Perhaps you’re right that those on the inside of what is quickly becoming disclosed as an awkward power structure have some duty to assign levels of estimated magnitude to those suspicion possibilities, but outside of those BOTS, here in this space, I contend our duty lies down the trust path.
Continued statements/assertions/guessyposits on the suspicion risk path just serves to pooh up the whole story and doesn’t help a lick.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
by jtothep on Jan 9, 2012 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm all for returning to a state of fanbase trust
Obviously I mean trust with regard to things of heightened importance. We wouldn’t be fans if we didn’t jump to conclusions about how coaches “don’t know what they’re doing” and keep calling the “bad plays” on gameday. I really look forward to that being my biggest worry during the football season.
I don’t think Skeller was making some kind of substantive assertion of suspicion or rumor mongering. But I do think he touched on something that’s liberating to the football fan in each of us about O’Brien, and something that probably contributed to his selection. Namely, the peace of mind we get, the administration gets, and recruits get, because O’Brien is an outsider and even the media can’t shoehorn some cloud of suspicion over him. Does pointing out this quality of O’Brien implicitly make some sour assertion of suspicion over everyone else? Over LJ or RV or TB? I guess you could construe it that way if you’re looking to stamp out continued guessyposits, but I would focus on this as a positive of O’Brien instead of dwelling on the “risk analysis” of the current and former Penn State guys.
In fact, O’Brien has pretty much given the finger to these types of concerns by immediately deciding to keep LJ and RV. I think that’s a ballsy move and a move he didn’t need to make, and I love him for it already. It’s probably the right move from a football perspective and, assuming these guys lack any taint from the scandal, a move that rewards classy, loyal guys who just went through a really screwed up chapter in school history. He can’t do that for everyone, just as he can’t rewind the clock and undo the scandal, but he did it for these guys and that’s pretty damned good in my opinion.
I have to assume that the BoT believes LJ and Vandy are clean of the taint of the scandal,
or they wouldn’t have approved of O’Brien retaining them. I remember Vandy and LJ being interviewed shortly after the shit hit the fan, and they said they had no knowledge of Sandusky’s actions. I think they also testified for the GJ, and nothing seemed to have come out of their testimony, either.
Ew, she's presenting like a mandrill!
That's what I'm assuming too
And it makes me very, very happy. With O’Brien being the one publicly to give these guys a vote of confidence (regardless of whether he was asked to keep them on before he even considered it), it’s like an independent third party coming in for the first time and saying, “These guys are good guys. These guys didn’t do anything wrong. They’ve suffered quietly, and now that the dogs are called off, they’re getting contracts to continue doing the great jobs they have always been doing.”
Werd
Does pointing out this quality of O’Brien implicitly make some sour assertion of suspicion over everyone else? Over LJ or RV or TB?
No, of course not.
I think both our points are valid and can live side by side in peace, although skellar’s OP focused solely on the risk piece and not on the positivity angle. I definitely don’t see an either/or in this thread.
I’m quite happy to also bark up the positivity tree you’re talking.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
I hope you didn't think my rhetorical question / lazy writing technique was me trying to put words in your mouth
Just to be clear, I didn’t think you were in any way making an affirmative statement along the lines of that question you quoted. I’m glad you can see where I’m coming from, just as I absolutely get your point in this whole thing that living under a cloud of suspicion is infuriating and torturous. I want The Terror to end. I’ve fought against it brazenly with friends and coworkers. With O’Brien hired and the media off doing whatever they usually do…living in a sick, unholy co-parasitic relationship with people self-hating enough to make a career out of politics I think…we can get back to loving hating our coaches because of football eliteness and watching youtube videos of high school players with mad skills.
/sends Charmas a round
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
Man, not trying to be Negative Nancy
I was just sharing a concern. Not saying that things aren’t looking up for the school, or that the worst is very much most likely behind us. Nor was I saying that they’re definitely going to find out that Vanderlinden found kiddie porn on JS’s phone when he borrowed it one time to try out Angry Birds, and then never told anyone. I just worry about the possibility.
Also, “taint” is a great and underutilized word.
by SkellerDweller06 on Jan 9, 2012 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
/sends Dweller a round
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
by jtothep on Jan 9, 2012 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Funny, doesn't look like a round
That looks like two pair.
Also
I’m 100% with you on the last two sentences.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
More eloquent way of making my point
Thanks PSUCharmas. Here’s to hoping that your last paragraph holds true!
by SkellerDweller06 on Jan 9, 2012 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
I've Risin...
JS or no JS, we just retained a couple of talented coaches and recruiters that will keep us connected to the Penn State we know. Vandy and LJ are in my top 10% of coaches on my wish list for Penn State’s team. We’re getting back to football folks.
Risen?
If so, who the hell are you?
You’re scaring me.
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world" -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
I'm just not ready to deal with a returning Messiah first thing Monday morning.
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world" -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Someone's got a case of the Mondays....
My post would’ve probably been easier to follow if I had not eff’d up posting it. It was supposed to be a reply to jtothep’s “Disagree” post.
Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you're not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, "Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?"
No. No, man. S***, no, man. I believe you’d get your ass kicked sayin’ something like that, man.
All of our comments are irrelevant - LetsGoPSU
by jaytay13 on Jan 9, 2012 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Well, that happened last night anyways
/80 yard touchdown passed
Whittle your whiskey around like blazes, t'underin' Jaysus, do ye think I'm dead?
by psuphysicist on Jan 9, 2012 9:59 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Gotta love how that transpired.
NFL makes this big deal of changing the OT rules, and the announcers making this huge deal of explaining everything and heaping importance onto how it’s the first game played under “ground-breaking new rules”.
Only to have it blow up in everyone’s face and the game ends on the first play in OT.
"The only difference between a brown-noser and a shit head is depth perception"
-PSU_Lions_84
He should be thanking Big Ben anyways
That fumble back to the 50 yard line killed any chance the Steelers had of setting up for the winning field goal. On a side note, Ben does not believe in ball security, and that fumble was entirely on him. I don’t understand how an ‘elite’ NFL quarterback does that at that point in the game, completely untouched.
Also, Tebow had a shot with 3 minutes and change left to drive down the field and win it in regulation, but he couldn’t get it done.
Whittle your whiskey around like blazes, t'underin' Jaysus, do ye think I'm dead?
by psuphysicist on Jan 9, 2012 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
That's true
but it doesn’t really matter does it? You could heap all sorts of blame on him if he had failed when the Broncos were down, but he did get it done when it actually mattered. Not that the catch/run can be attributed to him, but he still had to recognize that Thomas was open with no help over the top and throw a ball that hit him in stride.
"The only difference between a brown-noser and a shit head is depth perception"
-PSU_Lions_84
Yeah
Actually Tebow had a probably the most complete game of his career last night. The Steelers sold out against the run and dared Tebow to beat them with his arm. Tebow did, all game long. Ike Taylor never saw it coming. It seemed like every time that he got one on one coverage against Taylor, he threw a beautiful pass for big gains.
Whittle your whiskey around like blazes, t'underin' Jaysus, do ye think I'm dead?
by psuphysicist on Jan 9, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
Wow, my grammar in that last sentence is horrible
Whatever, the point I was trying to make stands.
Whittle your whiskey around like blazes, t'underin' Jaysus, do ye think I'm dead?
by psuphysicist on Jan 9, 2012 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
I'm not a big NFL fan,
so correct me if I’m wrong. But every time I’ve seen Ike Taylor play (vast majority has been in the playoffs) he seems to give up big plays over and over again. He must be a good CB overall for the Steelers to hang onto him for so long, but from my experience he’s a liability during big games.
"The only difference between a brown-noser and a shit head is depth perception"
-PSU_Lions_84
I don't watch a ton of NFL either
I don’t know if its a scheme thing, or what but it seemed like Ike was being asked to cover the wide receiver with no help over the top a number of times in that game. The best cornerback in the league is going to struggle to do that without giving up a few big plays all game. It looked to me like Tebow saw this tendency and was prepared to strike every time he saw the coverage.
Whittle your whiskey around like blazes, t'underin' Jaysus, do ye think I'm dead?
by psuphysicist on Jan 9, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
Kermit Buggs
just tweeted he will not be retained. Thanked Penn State. Class all the way.
When you put those black shoes on tomorrow, and you put on that jersey without your name on the back, and you put that plain helmet on, that's tradition. Penn State tradition!
--Who else?
by run4peach on Jan 9, 2012 8:46 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Sounds like the interviews are taking place right now.
If I had to choose today between the moral integrity and character of Joe Paterno and the politicians and commentators criticizing him, I would pick Joe Paterno, hands down, no contest every time. - Franco Harris
I would pee my pants laughing if he was
simply for the mixed reactions it would bring from people who love the idea of a new staff and hate Jay.
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug.
#OccupyESPN
Follow @134Lounge
After the inital shock of the hire has subsided
I’ve backed off the ledge. Coach O’Brien seems to be saying/doing the right things, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on and off the field.
Anyone have any thoughts on the speculation that we could go after Maryland QB Danny O’Brien in a Russell Wilson-to-Wiscy type deal?
"Every time you go to that cook-off you get drunk as a poet on payday!"
Wilson was a graduate student at Wisconsin, which is why he could play right away. Danny O’Brien just completed his sophomore year. He would have to sit out. And, I’m not entirely sure he’s all that good anyway.
"When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth."
-Roberto
by blackjackfishtaco on Jan 9, 2012 9:52 AM EST up reply actions
Danny O'Brien will be a grad student in the fall.
He will have completed his undergrad in three years when he graduates this spring. This was his redshirt sophomore year. He wouldn’t have to sit out and he might not be ‘all that good’ but he’s leaps and bounds better than what is currently on PSU’s roster.
And yes, he would lose a year, and then have to compete his senior year.....
it would be win it or lose your entire college career….. would be a dumb move for him (even if Edsall turns out to be a complete lemon),
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
See my response above...
He wouldn’t have to sit out.
Hmmmmm..... maybe not such a dumb move then.
I liked the little I saw of him this year
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
I imagine the 1-AA teams in the mid-atlantic are circling Maryland like vultures
by reedjohnmiller on Jan 9, 2012 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
no kidding
I didn’t think Edsall would screw up like this….. although I disagreed with the firing of Friedgen, especially the way it was handled. But it looks like Maryland’s loss may be our offensive gain??
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:17 AM EST up reply actions
I was dumbfounded by that whole thing
Since we’re in the precarious netherworld of a coaching staff change out, I always get queasy thinking about how hopefully a fanbase like Maryland probably was that Edsall would have then 11-1 his first year there and then to have the unsinkable ship sink right underneath them in fifteen minutes.
But the thing with Maryland is that, right when they fired Friedgen I was like, WTF? They don’t think he’s already hitting Maryland’s ceiling? Didn’t they go 8-4 and then 9-4 when they won a bowl game? And Friedgen is an alum and lifelong Maryland guy. On top of that, they didn’t fire him because there was some guru on the market they couldn’t pass up. They hired RANDY EDSALL! I watched a few UConn games while he was there. Why would anyone think he was a no-risk perfect hire for a team that was already reaching its program potential?
Obviously, Friedgen was preventing them from going to the new uni's
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Jan 9, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions
Funny.... after graduating from PSU, I went to grad school at Maryland....
and the one thing that always amazed me about Maryland is that you saw the state flag EVERYWHERE you looked! And I mean EVERYWHERE. So hell, those uni’s might just have been a state mandate!
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
For real, Friedgen was legit with what he did at Maryland
My memory could be off, but wasn’t there some conflict between him and the AD that may have contributed to him being let go?
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Jan 9, 2012 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
Fridge
Supposedly the new AD was all about getting “his guys” into the HC positions (FB and men’s BB). He didn’t care that he was canning the ACC CotY, he just wanted “his guy” to be in charge. Who cares if they had to pay a cool $2 mil to get rid of Fridge (and screw over 8 non-revenue sports teams in the process), “his guy” was in place.
(Sorry, I’m married to a Terp and friends with kids on some of the affected teams, so I’m not exactly unbiased here.)
Oh, and a majority of the fanbase at Maryland probably couldn’t have cared less- they’re some of the most apathetic football fans on the planet.
I live in Northern Virginia
The MD-DC-VA groupon site had Maryland football ticket coupons this season. Sounds like a program that should really be firing alumni head coaches and bringing in risky, expensive hires.
Maryland's loss(es) really are our gain
Had Edsall stayed at UConn, there is a good chance he would have been high on the list of candidates to replace JoePa. He is a PA native, he had developed UConn from a 1-AA team to a BCS bowl (granted out of the Big Least), he had pretty adeptly handled a huge crisis (on campus murder of player), and he is squeeky clean. Problem is, he is an enormous dick. We possibly ducked that one when he went to Md., dressed his team in clown outfits and laid an enormous turd on the field all while pissing everyone off in the process with his holier-than-thou attitude.
I agree
The Edsall-bullet-dodged occured to me too.
BTW, those Maryland uniforms failed even by their own standard. The yellow bit on the helmet should be on the OPPOSITE side of the red bit on the shoulders, so it would look like their flag. They couldn’t even get that right.
Maryland has ideas above their station. When Friedgen first started having success there (against a weaker than usual ACC) local sports guys were going nuts. I recall one saying they could replace Penn State as the best team in the east.
But they have no hope. Maryland can’t even out-draw us in their own backyard. Their stadium is so small and even when they played FSU at night last year, they still drew fewer fans than Penn State-IU did on the same day down the road in Landover. And once Penn State gets good again, an “away” game like that in DC could easily sell out.
There have been a lot of reports that they can’t sell their new luxury boxes and that revenue is so bad they’ll have to make cuts to the non-revenue sports, which is sad because Maryland’s non-revenue sports are their strength – soccer, lacrosse (both mens and womens), field hockey, women’s bball, are all nationally powerful. But they keep throwing money down the football rathole. It seems like they ought to take a page out of Hopkins book and try to convince everyone on campus that lacrosse is the big sport, not football.
I don’t know enough about basketball to understand why they faded so fast after their national title. But it seems like they ought to just focus on that.
by reedjohnmiller on Jan 9, 2012 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe they were wearing their helmets backwards
could explain why they were so terrible this year
Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries
Luxury boxes and Non-revenue sports
They’re not just reports about the luxury boxes- I think they sold less than half of them. They even asked around in the business community before they built them if there was any interest, and there wasn’t. Yet they still built them- throwing money down the rathole indeed.
No one will admit that that decision (along with canning Fridge, and paying Gary Williams $400K a year for 4 years to “consult” with the mens’ bball team) was basically directly responsible for the oncoming demise of 8 non-revenue sports, but when you look at the report the “special committee” put together, the numbers don’t lie. And you’ve got a great point about borrowing a page from Hopkins’ playbook- lacrosse at UMd is just about on-par with Hopkins’ program most years, so it wouldn’t be a hard sell.
It’s frustrating to see a school being so myopic, especially when you’re basically in the trenches and can actually see the impact such obvious mismanagement has caused.
Re: Danny O'Brien
I hope not. I want our QB to be someone who picked PSU from the start. I know there are a lot of questions at QB, but getting another Div I transfer is not the answer.
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:12 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
If he's gotten his degree and is looking to possibly get a graduate degree while continuing to play...
then he would be picking PSU “first.” When I went from PSU to Vanderbilt to get my grad degree, I didn’t feel like I wasn’t being loyal to PSU.
by BNittsDeMilo on Jan 9, 2012 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
Then we would have dualing O'Briens....
I’m hearing banjos…..
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:22 AM EST up reply actions
Very good news
Coach Van is a great coach and a fine man. Really glad this worked out. Also see that Navarro Bowman was named to the All Pro Team. Excellent.
I still have Power Questions
So curious how much BOB is even allowed to do with respect to hiring. I mean, it’s always a non-direct relationship anyway on coaching staffs, if HC’s are allowed to hire & fire assistants while those assistants’ salaries are paid by the school and not the HC. Obviously, that’s the way personnel & salaries work in almost every biznass, but I bring it up now because of all we’ve learned and are learning about the organization and distribution of power in this current Board of Trustees.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
He HAS to have power to hire and fire
otherwise it would be REALLY hard to hold him accountable for his wins/losses.
If I had to choose today between the moral integrity and character of Joe Paterno and the politicians and commentators criticizing him, I would pick Joe Paterno, hands down, no contest every time. - Franco Harris
by carolinaeasy on Jan 9, 2012 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
You're right of course
Probably irresponsible of me to raise the possibility that he might not have that power. Even so, there’s shitloads to the backstories of this hire. If not in contractual agreement, it’d be preposterous to think that discussions, at least, were not had regarding possible staff hires.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
Technically, only the board must ultimately approve all hires.
But it’s almost always pro forma.
I imagine that the AD gives the coach their hiring budget and if a coach wants to exceed that, they have to get the AD to approve it and then the AD has to figure out where the money will come from and if they need more, they’d have to ask the VP for Budget and on up the chain. But it almost never comes to that.
by reedjohnmiller on Jan 9, 2012 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
Makes sense on the money tip
I wonder how, or if, it would be received by the Athletic Director, if BOB sat down with Scrap, LOVED him and went and told Joyner that he wanted to hire him as DC.
jtothetweet
Yet, bag or not, it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a cat for a pig.
by jtothep on Jan 9, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This was honestly one of my biggest concerns.
Not necessarily who would stay, but I was worried that we would become an offensive oriented team at the expense of our defense. It’s nice to know that we are retaining the people that have made our defense excel (Bradley still unknown as far as I’m aware) and that we can continue being Linebacker U.
It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one's steps to the upper air - there's the rub, the task.
by Succss With Honor Always on Jan 9, 2012 10:14 AM EST reply actions
I figured whoever was hired would be smart enough not to screw up the defense....
especially after the failure of RichRod
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 10:20 AM EST up reply actions
Hey, his defense was fine in the Big East....
and probably would have worked in the Pac10….. but in the Big Ten, not so much.
by Nittany Merle on Jan 9, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
After a brief survey of Wikipedia and the University of Syracuse website, here's a quick overview of Michigan's RR defense
Apparently RichRod brought in Scott Shafer for 2008 who was D coordinator at Stanford under Harbaugh. Harbaugh thought highly of him and Shafer said all the right stuff about Michigan being THE job and how thrilled his family was to be there. However, they struggled that first year (blow up the program, all new staff, graduations and transfers out – who wouldn’t struggle that first year with no continuity?) and were 68th in total defense in the country.
RichRod’s solution: Shafer gets “resigned” and Rodriguez brings in genius Greg Robinson, who is fresh off four years running Syracuse into the ground (10-37 record and only 3-25 against the Big East!!!!). I could be wrong, but I think it’s at this point that they install the mighty 3-3-5. Presumably with the program settling into RR’s vision for it, and his recruits coming in, Robinson manages to make Michigan’s defense WORSE each year. 82nd overall in ’09 and 110th overall in ’10!!! When they won enough games to go to a bowl!
Meanwhile, Shafer – who was shown the door in favor of Robinson – coincidentally goes to be DC at the Syracuse disaster left by Robinson. This from the Syracuse website about Shafer’s accomplishments there:
• Helped the 2010 SU defense advance in rankings in total defense (7th from 37th), first downs allowed (12th from 27th), pass defense (10th from 85th), pass efficiency defense (14th from 113th) and scoring defense (13th from 81st).
• Coached the 2009 Orange defense which improved in the national statistical rankings in third down defense (28th from 117th), first downs allowed (27th from 104th), total defense (37th from 114th) and sacks (6th from 100th).
In other words, GERG’d.
by PSUCharmas on Jan 9, 2012 11:32 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Obligatory
Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries
by Kyle_Martin on Jan 9, 2012 5:05 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
Why isn't this green?
The DB has perfect sprinter form and it’s like he’s chasing an invisible receiver. One of my favorite pics of all time.
I, for one, plan to continue my life long contempt for the powers that be and I fully expect to be disappointed with whatever choice is made. ~PSUgirl
Remember Though
Rich Rod forced the use of a 3-3-5 on Robinson and they were never on the same page. Rich Rod’s thought is speed will always win…BUZZZEERR!!
BOB is doing everything I would have wanted an offensive-side coach coming in to PSU to do...
keep what is already working and rework what isn’t.
In all fairness, if our defense stays about the same (historically very good), how can this team really get worse?
Maybe by losing some recruits… but again, if we retain most of our defensive guys who did a lot of the recruiting and bring in some good offensive guys, there’s not too much of a reason to assume there will be a big fall off.
And yes, I’ll make this one exception to allow myself to get excited…
Apparently John Strollo,
Offensive line coach as Ball State, will replace Bill Kenney.
When you put those black shoes on tomorrow, and you put on that jersey without your name on the back, and you put that plain helmet on, that's tradition. Penn State tradition!
--Who else?
2005-2007 Duke
/we’re getting the band back together.
He completed 17 of individuals 26 passes for 192 lanscaping your yard and two touchdowns - Chan Luu
Interesting tid bit
So Strollo coached the O-line at Ball State this past year. In a 62-6 night game loss at then-#2 Oklahoma, Ball State managed to average 3.4 yards per carry with 119 rushing yards overall and actually had over five minutes greater TOP than Oklahoma. For what it’s worth.
Is Duke 2005-2007
really the band we want back together?
365 beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days. Game on.
http://www.blognamedbrew.blogspot.com/
by Tailgate Shogun on Jan 9, 2012 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't think so.
I am a little worried about these coordinators that all seem to be from small schools, and maybe not the most successful. We obviously have never been through this before and it is hard to compare these guys, but it would be nice to see someone with a big school MNC or something on the resume, if possible.
I'm all for benefit of the doubt and optimism. BUT.
I would like something solid to hang my optimism on. Keeping LJ & Vandy was a good start, will be curious to see the rest of the staff names.
365 beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days. Game on.
http://www.blognamedbrew.blogspot.com/
by Tailgate Shogun on Jan 9, 2012 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
Young hungry coaches
Generally come from smaller schools or lower tiers in the NFL. BOB is relatively young himself and these are the guys he knows and trusts. The fact that he is already conceding that he isn’t all knowing and making a clean sweep by retaining LJ and Vandy is a very positive step, IMHO.
Yeah I get that
but I am not sure some of these guys have even had success at their lower levels.
Keeping LJ and Vandy
certainly makes the early comments by Lavar and crew look like an over-reaction. Not that I didn’t feel exactly the same way. I have tasted shoe leather often enough to limit my public response to this kind of thing tho.
So far, I think we’re on to something. BOB already defied convention. We were all sure that any new coach would clean house and bring in his own staff. Looks like this guy is thoughtful enough to know a good thing when he sees it and humble enough to ask the old guard to stay.
I’m starting to get back some optimism here folks! I better quit thinking about it now…
by 87Townie on Jan 9, 2012 11:08 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Indulge me as I let my O'Brien-is-going-to-turn-out-awesome optimism run wild
But his tiff with Brady has me imagining all kinds of great things about him. At the moment, I’m getting the impression that O’Brien is the kind of guy who, when he looks into someone’s eyes and sees “douchey”, he doesn’t hold his tongue even if the guy is actually Tom Brady. By contrast, when he looks into someone’s eyes and sees “genuine” and “awesome” he embraces it. In this case, when those guys are LJ Sr. and Vanderlinden, O’Brien immediately says, “YOU. I want YOU. Someone write these guys some contracts.”
I love Lavar and I love his outspokenness, but this is exactly why you don’t jump to conclusions – especially about people – until you have something to go on.
by PSUCharmas on Jan 9, 2012 11:20 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
what will happen when he looks in someone's eyes and sees "MOXIE"?
"There are too many Irish guys on this team"
Joesph Vincent Paterno
April, 2010
I think that might be the question of the 2012 football season
It’s like a philosophical conundrum. What happens when an immovable object is struck by an unstoppable force interception throwing machine?
I can't wait for this dynamic
I can already picture BOB reaming McGloin out on the sidelines for throwing an interception and then sharing an Irish bro-hug later after a completed TD pass that was drenched in moxie.
"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things."
Stan Hixon, Buffalo Bills WR coach,
to replace Mke McQueary.
When you put those black shoes on tomorrow, and you put on that jersey without your name on the back, and you put that plain helmet on, that's tradition. Penn State tradition!
--Who else?
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.
They are not keeping Jon Thomas. Please tell me that you’re wrong.
I am sick and tired of watching our offensive linemen get blown up by Wisconsin and Ohio State and Iowa.
However, I will keep an open mind and maybe it isn’t JT. Maybe it’s the offensive line coaches who don’t know how to teach technique, or Galen Hall’s zone-blocking scheme. I hope I’m proven wrong. Thank heavens for Vandy.
I htink it was sub-par OL coaching than anything else
Our D uses the same HIT program and is pretty damn stout. And zone-blocking is great when executed properly.
"Every time you go to that cook-off you get drunk as a poet on payday!"
That's what I'm hoping and praying for.
It wasn’t JT, but position coaching and strategy.
Didn't we have two different coaches
for different parts of the o-line? That always seemed stupid to me
Formerly known as kmart93
Black Shoe Diaries
I have never heard a PSU NFL player or an NFL scout say anything about Thomas
You’d think that if Thomas were really “doing it wrong” that we’d here somebody in the NFL say that.
And to be fair, Thomas seems to claim his methods keep guys conditioned into the fourth quarter. Except in the game where our offense just cannot get a first down and our D is on the field way too much, I can’t really recall a game where it looked like we lost the conditioning battle and I can think of several where we were able to run Tony Hunt or whomever up the gut repeatedly in the fourth to salt away a victory because we’d worn the other guys down.
I have no data to back that up.
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