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Penn State has at last found its replacement for Joe Paterno: New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will take the job, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN, with another league source saying O'Brien will finish out the playoffs with the Pats before starting his new gig. Penn State coaches contacted by the AP, however, said they'd received no word yet that a hire had been made.
O'Brien became the Patriots offensive coordinator just this season, but has been with the Patriots since 2007. He also has 12 years of college coaching experience, with stints at Georgia Tech and Duke, according to USA Today. If the report is accurate, it won't make everyone happy. Former Penn State linebacker and Lettermen's Club member Brandon Short says that by tapping an external candidate "what they have effectively done is turn their backs on 100 years of tradition."
