This year, the NFL buyout clause in Bill O'Brien's contract was reportedly lowered from about $20 million to around $6 million, and O'Brien is reportedly the top college candidate for a number of NFL positions that could open up this offseason.
O'Brien's representatives have approached the school about lowering his buyout clause even further, and while it's entirely possible that O'Brien stays tat Penn State for another year or two, he's made no effort to deny that the NFL is still his eventual destination.
If Bill O'Brien does end up leaving Penn State for the NFL this offseason, who steps in to replace him? There certainly won't be as much trouble finding interested candidates as there was last time around, as the Sandusky scandal no longer hangs over the program like it did in 2011. The PSU football program is headed in a positive direction, and with several solid recruiting classes in the books, a few coaches from around the country are monitoring the PSU situation in case O'Brien leaves this year. As things stand, here are the most likely head coaches to step in at PSU if O'Brien takes an NFL job:
5. Greg Schiano, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach
Schiano is one of the people closely monitoring Bill O'Brien's situation, and it seems likely that he'll be in the hunt for a new job in the very near future. Schiano spent five years at PSU earlier in his career, and it wasn't long ago that Schiano was regarded as one of the top coaches on the market. While the NFL hasn't been kind to Schiano, it's hard to argue with his results at Rutgers (5-1 bowl record after a massive program turnaround), and while he isn't on Penn State's radar at the moment, we'd expect that to change if O'Brien is on the move.
4. John Hufnagel, Calgary Stampeders Head Coach
Hufnagel may not have much name recognition outside of Canada, but he'll be a major player if Penn State conducts a full-fledged coaching search. One of the most successful coaches in the CFL, Hufnagel is a Penn State alum who worked for the New England Patriots and the New York Giants before moving north to take a head coaching position in Calgary back in 2008. The Stampeders have never missed the playoffs in Hufnagel's tenure, and if the Nittany Lions came calling, he'd have a hard time saying no.
3. James Franklin, Vanderbilt Head Coach
Franklin's Commodores aren't setting the SEC on fire, but it isn't easy to take a program that's down in the dumps and make them competitive in the nation's toughest conference. Franklin has done exactly that, and he's reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation in State College. A PA native who went to East Stroudsberg University and started his coaching career at Kutztown, Franklin will be a major contender for the Penn State job...if he's still on the market by the time the position opens up.
2. Al Golden, Miami Head Coach
Golden was widely touted as Joe Paterno's successor, back when Paterno was on course to retire at his own leisure. Golden managed to turn Temple from MAC cannon fodder into the a solid program with bowl aspirations, and he earned a shot at Miami's rebuilding project in the process. The Hurricanes' record has improved every year Golden has been in charge, and there's light at the end of the tunnel in Miami after years in NCAA purgatory. If a vacancy opens up at Penn State, this might be Golden's chance to return to his alma mater for good.
1. Mike Munchak, Tennessee Titans Head Coach
Munchak is another Penn State graduate making a name for himself elsewhere in the coaching world, and with the Titans looking to change directions after this season, he could be looking for work after three decades with the Tennessee organization. Munchak is still held in high regard at Penn State over 30 years after his graduation, and there's definite mutual interest here. If Bill O'Brien leaves town for the NFL and the Titans let Munchak walk, expect Mike to get the first call out of State College.
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