O'Brien Lyin?

I was born and raised a Pittsburgh Panthers fan.  My dad went to Pitt, his dad went to Pitt, my mom went to Pitt.  Naturally, I wanted to go to Pitt as well...but those plans were dashed when I failed to get in.  I did however get into Penn State, an institution I was raised to despise.  That just comes with being a Pitt fan though - it's part of the territory.  I grew up hating...no despising Penn State - specifically Joe Paterno.  I despised that man.  I hating everything he stood for, I hated the way he was (is) idolized as a some sort of God.  So when I decided, very reluctantly I might add, to continue my studies at Penn State I did so with the mind set that if that man was still there, if he was still coaching, I wouldn't have gone there.  Just because of what he stood for, for the kind of power he had.

Having just finished up my first semester at Penn State, I have to say that, as expected, blown away by the school spirit that envelopes State College.  It's something that now, as a Penn Stater, I am proud of.  A huge part of that school spirit stems from the football team.  That hasn't changed, it's always been the case up there.  Now though, now that Paterno is gone, heading up there I was curious as to if the spirit would be diminished.   It wasn't.  Most of that can be credited to now former head coach Bill O'Brien.  Of course, the players deserve credit as well but what this team was projected to do, or wasn't for that matter, and what O'Brien was able to get out of them is remarkable.  He was able to tap into a team's full potential...and then kept going.  He was able to turn a completely mediocre team and make them, with what they had, the best they could be.  He was part of what made me proud to be a Penn Stater.  What he did when he came in, the way he handled the absolute shit storm of the situation was simply amazing.  Now that he's gone though, what now.  

Let's get this out of the way, O'Brien leaving is not good for Penn State.  He is one of the best coaches in the country and whenever someone like that leaves any team is going to take a blow.  The questions are whether or not he left Penn State football in a better or worse situation than he found it it and whether or not O'Brien is at fault for leaving PSU.  

In my opinion, Penn State is better off for having O'Brien.  When he arrived, the football program as well as the university was in shambles.  He came in and made the best out of it.  He helped make Penn Staters proud again.  He gave people hope, hope that PSU could maybe get back to what it once was before the Sandusky scandal hit.  O'Brien leaving PSU does hurt the university - but it's minor gash compared to what it was before.  O'Brien should be commended, not criticized, for hit time at Penn State.  What he did was nothing short of a miracle.  

People are calling O'Brien a lair.  Saying that he betrayed the university.  Saying that he lied to university.  That he lied to recruits.  I'm here to say that O'Brien is about as far away from a liar as you can get.  He's not wrong for telling recruits that he would be there and then leave.  It's part of his job to get recruits to come.  What is he supposed to tell them "Ya, come to Penn State.  It's great.  I won't be here next year.  But come anyway."  O'Brien was just doing his job.  He didn't lie to anyone.  

Bill O'Brien leaving PSU is sad.  He was a great coach and great for the university.  I, however, find no fault in him for leaving for greener pastures.  I wish him the best of luck in Houston and hope that whoever fills his shoes at my new home away from home does an adequate job.  He's got quite the shoes to fill.