Coaching Carousel (Penn State)

Penn State's football program was rocked by the criminal activity of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky which lead to Joe Paterno being fired and the school being given the worst punishment outside of SMU's "Death Penalty."  With all the sanctions it was hard to get a top notch coach into this storied program.  The Nittany Lions turned to New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien which lead everybody to say, what?

Facing harsh NCAA sanctions that allowed any Penn State player to transfer without sitting out, Bill O'Brien had more than an uphill climb. Starting his first season at 0-2 didn't help confidence the team would have much success.  However Penn State went 8-2 the rest of the season and played like the second best team in the Big 10.  The momentum carried during recruiting as O'Brien was able to bring in a top flight recruiting class, including #1 QB prospect Bill O'Brien.

However O'Brien was overwhelmed with the "Paterno faction" at Penn State and it was really wearing on him.  With that pressure and the goal to be an NFL Head Coach, O'Brien agreed to become only the third head coach of the Houston Texans.  What will Penn State do?  They still face NCAA sanctions, but those could be reduced a second time.  The job is more disirable than it was when O'Brien was hired and the candidates should be even better.

Possible Candidates

Al Golden (Miami Head Coach)
The favorite for the job and my prediction to be the next Nittany Lion coach.  Golden is a former Penn State tight end and linebackers coach.  Golden is an experienced coach turning Temple into a conference title contender and is currently building Miami back to national prominence.  Golden has a love with Penn State and if offered could feel the pull to restoring his alma mater.

James Franklin (Vanderbilt Head Coach)
One of the hottest coaches in the carousel has been mentioned in every top job opening.  He's still in the running for the Texas job, but it could be Penn State where he is better suited.  Franklin is a great leader and those skill would be ideal in State College.  Add in that he spent many years at Maryland and near by Nashville, he has plenty of ties to the area.

Mike Munchak (Tennessee Titans Head Coach)
Another former player, Munchak was an All American guard for the Nittany Lions before going onto a longtime career as a player and coach with the Tennessee Titans (Houston Oilers) franchise.  The current head coach could be wanting to leave because his seat at Tennessee is extremely hot.  Munchak has experience, but it's all been in the NFL and questionable at that.  He has to be a fall back option.

Greg Schiano (Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach)
It's been reported that it's a three way race for the job, but don't count out Schiano.  The former Bucs coach had a bad run in the NFL, but don't forget what he did at Rutgers turning them from a nobody to a Big East contender.  However his coaching issues while at Tampa and dictatorship type coaching style could hurt his chances.

Pat Narduzzi (Michigan State Defensive Coordinator)
He isn't talked much in this opening, but the Nittany Lions did have success in the last coordinator they hired. Narduzzi is due for a head coaching job and this should be a good fit.  His experiences at Michigan State and Cincinnati give him ties to the area.  I don't think he gets the job, but wouldn't be shocked if he did.