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Ex-football coach O’Brien was Penn State’s top money earner in 2013

By Bill Schackner / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Though his earnings already have been eclipsed by those of his successor, former Penn State University head football coach Bill O’Brien was the institution’s top compensated employee in 2013, making $3.4 million, according just released university tax data.

Mr. O’Brien, who left for the National Football League’s Houston Texans early last year, earned total compensation of $3,440,352 in his final year at Penn State. That included base pay of $1,937,779 plus other earnings, most notably $1,350,000 in bonus and incentive compensation, according to federal tax data that Penn State must disclose annually under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.