First some facts, he went to Brown University, same as Joe Paterno. He spent 13 years in the college football world and has been on the Patriots staff for 4 years.
Let's also look at what he's getting himself into. Penn State is in the middle of the biggest scandal in college sports history. And even though that everyone involved with it is gone, the general public doesn't forget easily. O'Brien (or whoever ends up as the next head coach) has the massive task of moving forward from this situation that has rocked our community.
That being said, this head coaching job is a HARD sell. Yes we are a storied program. Yes we have a history of success with honor. Yes we want, so badly, to put this behind us and move forward. But that doesn't make it any easier to give a job to a big name head coach.
Just watched the moments of 2011 on College Football Live, tears rolled down my face when they showed Joe Paterno getting his 409th win, then cut immediately to the clip of the board of trustees firing him due to the allegations and complications surrounding the Jerry Sandusky Scandal.
It's the end of an era at Penn State. It's going to be different. It's going to be scary. It's not going to be the same thing that we've always done. The next year(s) will be difficult. All we can do as a community is to stand by our university and love it just as much as we always have. The actions of a few people WILL NOT define MY university or the love I have for it. They are NOT Penn State. We Are Penn State.
-Drew
