Penn State has hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien as its head coach, the first change in leadership for the storied football program in nearly a half-century. The announcement caps a turbulent two-month period that began with the firing of Hall of Famer Joe Paterno on Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Not only is O'Brien replacing Division I's winningest coach, but he must also guide a program shrouded in uncertainty. Besides the criminal investigation into Sandusky, the NCAA has launched its own inquiry. The 42-year-old O'Brien will be formally announced at a news conference Saturday in the Nittany Lion Inn ballroom on campus. But some fickle, fed-up Penn State fans did not wait for the official introduction to take to Twitter to start debating O'Brien's resume and qualifications. While instrumental in running the Patriots' high-powered offense, O'Brien has never been a head coach. Now he's taking over for Paterno, who had been on the job 46 seasons. In between, the 85-year-old Paterno won 409 games and was elected to the Hall of Fame. “I am thrilled to be the head coach of the Penn State football program,” O'Brien said in a statement. “As head coach of this special football program, it is my responsibility to ensure that this program represents the highest level of character, respect and integrity in everything we do.” The new head coach also faced skepticism from some alumni and prominent former players. Some supported interim coach Tom Bradley to be elevated permanently; others criticized the search process for not taking into account enough the opinions of those affiliated with the program who backed Bradley, a 33-year veteran of the staff. “I understand Bill O'Brien has been named head coach and I want to congratulate him on his appointment,” Paterno said in a statement. “I don't know Bill, but I respect his coaching record, and I am particularly pleased we share a connection to my alma mater, Brown.”
