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Dec 22 '17
Bill OBrien inherited a Penn State program rocked by scandal, on the cusp of crippling sanctions, and staring at a murky future. Eli Rogers Jersey . All he ever really cared about was making the Nittany Lions winners. OBrien succeeded against heavy odds, overcoming a lack of scholarships, a bowl ban, and player defections. He leaves the program on stable ground after bolting Happy Valley for the NFL and the Houston Texans. Penn State planned to act fast to find his successor. "Our anticipation is that well be counting this in a matter of days rather than weeks," Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner said Thursday. OBrien left the Nittany Lions less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno, returning to the NFL to coach the team with the leagues worst record this season. Naturally, Joyner said there has been tremendous interest already in the vacancy, which should be more appetizing than in 2012. A former offensive co-ordinator for the Patriots, OBrien took on perhaps college footballs toughest job in January 2012, joining a school rattled by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. "I think its a lot more attractive at this point, although we had tremendous interest even in spite of everything two years ago," Joyner said. "From a scholarship standpoint, were going to be very competitive right out of the gate. Watching whats happened here the last two years, if I was a head coach candidate, would make me very excited." Defensive line coach Larry Johnson is interim head coach while the search for a replacement goes on. "Im humbled by the confidence that Penn State has bestowed upon me during this critical time for the football program and honoured to do my part to help Penn State," Johnson said. OBrien will become the third coach in Texans history, following Dom Capers, who led the team from its expansion season in 2002, and Gary Kubiak. OBrien was set to be introduced Friday in Houston. Kubiak took over when Capers was fired after a 2-14 season in 2005. Kubiak went 61-64 and led the Texans to their first two playoff appearances and two AFC South titles before being fired in early December. Houston was expected to contend for the Super Bowl this season, but instead lost nine games by a touchdown or less to end up 2-14. "In your lifetime, you only get certain opportunities so many times," OBrien told reporters at a Houston airport. "This is a great opportunity to work with an owner like Mr. (Bob) McNair and an organization like the Texans. It is a very exciting time for myself and my family." OBrien was proud of his time at Penn State. "They gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach, and Ill always thank them for that," he said. "Theyre great kids at Penn State; lot of great people there." OBrien was the first major defection this week. Third-team All-American wide receiver Allen Robinson decided Thursday to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Robinson set Penn State season records in receptions (97) and yards receiving (1,432) for the second consecutive year. He wrote on Twitter: "It was a honour to wear a penn state uniform for 3 years. I will miss my teammates and coaches, blessed for the opportunity and experience." Robinson at least gave the program three years. OBrien only lasted two. "I believe that Bill OBrien came here with the intent to be here for a long haul," Joyner said. OBrien, who helped lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the 2011 season, arrived in Happy Valley after apprenticeships coaching at Brown, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke, followed by five years as an NFL assistant on Bill Belichicks staff. He won games and won over players with a stern look on his face. OBrien did it all in Paternos shadow. Over the course of his 61 years at Penn State, Paterno became not just the face, but the cantankerous soul and benefactor of a school that was transformed from a "cow college" into a top-shelf public university. Joyner said OBrien never seemed affected by the Paterno loyalists who were slow to warm to an outsider running the program. "Bill handled that very well, with grace and style," he said. "I really believe that he loved it here. From the get-go, he looked at himself as a long-termer. But I think a tremendous opportunity came up for him." While some scholarships have been restored, Penn State lacks the full allotment other Big Ten schools -- including new members Rutgers and Maryland -- have at their disposal. As for candidates to replace OBrien, Greg Schiano has Penn State ties and may want to return to college after two forgettable seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While at Rutgers, Schiano was viewed as an Eastern recruiting expert who built the Scarlet Knights into a consistent bowl team by landing players from New Jersey to Miami. Vanderbilts James Franklin and Miami coach Al Golden, a former Penn State captain under Paterno, could both be at the top of the list. Joyner said school ties arent a must for the new coach. "People that have been affiliated with Penn State understand and are part of that great tradition," he said. "Its not a requirement going forward, but its something that will be in the thought process in the selection of the next great football coach at Penn State." Tyson Alualu Jersey. In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending. Darrius Heyward-Bey Jersey . - After spending the morning in the hospital, Logan Couture gave the San Jose Sharks the spark they needed.Raleigh, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Thomas Greiss came up with 32 saves to help the Pittsburgh Penguins exact some revenge on the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-2 victory. The Penguins supported Greiss solid effort with first-period goals by Chris Kunitz and Robert Bortuzzo, with Christian Ehrhoff netting the eventual game-winner in the third as Pittsburgh bounced back from a 4-2 home loss to the Hurricanes on Friday. Justin Faulk scored just over 3 1/2 minutes in to give Carolina an early edge, but the Hurricanes didnt get another past Greiss until Eric Staals power- play tally with 11.7 seconds remaining. Anton Khudobin stopped 30 shots in the loss, Carolinas fourth in five games. Saturdays rematch began with a flurry of goals, with Pittsburgh scoring twice and the Hurricanes once during the first six minutes of play. An early penalty to Bortuzzo allowed Carolina to strike first, with Faulk one- timing a long drive past Greiss just 22 seconds into the power play and 3:39 into the contest. The Penguins answered almost immediately. Kunitz dumped the puck into the Carolina zone off the ensuing faceoff, and Evgeni Malkin retrieved it before skating around the net and dropping a pass that Kunitz rifled home a mere 17 seconds following Faulks goal. Bortuzzo then put Pittsburgh ahead less than two minutes later, skating right by two Hurricane defenders and beating Khudobin stick-side at the 5:32 mark. Maurkice Pouncey Jersey. The action settled down thereafter, with the clubs playing to a scoreless second despite the Hurricanes putting up 14 shots on Greiss and having three power-play opportunities. Carolina generated fewer chances in the final period, and fell behind by a 3-1 count when Ehrhoff rushed up the ice and snuck the rebound of his initial attempt under Khudobins skate for the offseason pickups first goal as a Penguin, which came with 4:33 remaining. Staal made it interesting by successfully re-directing Victor Rasks blast with Khudobin pulled in the final seconds, too late for Carolina to mount a serious comeback. Game Notes The Penguins scratched defenseman Kris Letang prior to the game with an undisclosed injury, while forward Marcel Goc also sat out with an ailing foot ... Faulk added an assist on Staals late goal, while Rask assisted on both Carolina scores ... Pittsburgh has now won four straight meetings with the Hurricanes in Raleigh ... Carolina has just one winning streak this season, a four-game run from Nov. 1-7. 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