FIlling A Legend's Shadow

For a moment, ignore the huge shadow the Sandusky scandal has left over Happy Valley. Focus instead on the game that defines the school. Focus on the (no doubt less important currently) shadow the MAN who defined Penn State for decade: Joe Paterno. Come this offseason, whoever is in charge of the new regime at Penn State will have to replace this true legend. Here are a few names to watch (and reasons why):

Greg Schiano, Rutgers head coach: Over a year ago I pegged Schiano as a potential choice to take over when Rich Rodriquez was run out of Ann Arbor, and I cited an article speculating Schiano’s been waiting to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State. It’s impossible to say what PSU will be looking for (maybe they will look for candidates without any ties to the school), but Schiano is from the area, and had moderate success at Rutgers. He’s turned down chances to take over at Miami (FL) and Michigan—would he be willing to jump into a powder keg situation in Happy Valley? If he did, he has the devotion to character that the next head coach will need.

Al Golden, Miami head coach: Had a great amount of success at Temple, and may want to get out of the mess seen in Miami with the NCAA watching closely. Would he want to jump into another situation, albeit completely different? It’s hard to say, but he exudes class and character, two things Penn State needs, along with a track record of success. Oh did I forget to mention he played three years at Penn State under Joe Pa, and was the linebackers coach in 2000 (with the aforementioned Sandusky?) He’s devoted to defense, which will fit well into the Linebacker U culture.

Kirby Smart, Alabama defensive coordinator: Here is a career SEC man who is running one of the nation’s best defenses. Penn State's witnessed this first hand in back-to-back blowout losses to the Tide. He has no head coaching experience, but the Saban effect likely wears off on him, and he’s a leading name among many circles to be head coach soon. Also, he has no connections to Penn State, for better or worse.

 

Gary Patterson, TCU head coach: This is an interesting one. He’s in a solid position at TCU, where his teams are traditionally very strong defensively (his 4-2-5 is one of the more interesting defenses in college football). He also has no clear ties to Penn State. Would he be interested in stepping into the shadow of one of the legends of the last 50 years, though? I believe he could do it, and do it well. I don’t see what he gains, however.

 

Dan Mullen, Mississippi St head coach: Here is the one and only offensive-minded head coach I can see landing in Happy Valley, because he’s also shown an ability to have teams play tough defense (his Bulldog squad is ranked 17^th in the nation for points against). Gut instinct the Drexel Hill native might want to return to more of his Midwest/Mid-Atlantic roots, as he sees he cannot be top dog in the hyper competitive SEC West (Need to beat Bama, LSU, AND Arkansas? Thanks for playing). At Penn State, he has a chance to build something back. He’s a hot coaching name—I expect him to be at a different school within two years. Whether or not Penn State is that school I don’t know.

Names to ignore: Rich Rodriquez, Mike Leach, Gus Malzhan, Chip Kelly, Kirk Ferentz, Brett Bielema, Pat Fitzgerald, Mark Dantonio, Chris Peterson—The first four are all offensive genius coaches (and Kelly is in a ve ry good place currently) all of which has some past controversy following them. The last group would be silly to leave strong positions at Big Ten rivals/Boise, and many have said repeatedly they aren’t interested in other jobs.

By Ryan Pratt