Sheriff Coffee
Well-known member
I’m sold!
Next coaching candidates
- Thread starter IANit
- Start date
RickinDayton
Well-known member
Someone over on TOS suggested an out of the box offer should go to Mike Pettine, currently Asst Head Coach/LBer coach with Minnesota Vikings. Native Pennsylvanian, played HS ball at Central Bucks, college ball at Virginia, coached at North Penn HS in Montgomery County, PA. I know he has coached in the pros for awhile but maybe he wants a change?
What say you?
With TOS being an Eagles, North Penn, CB West, Wawa kind of site, they'd like Pettine. And there's also a Neshaminy guy named Franklin looking for a HC job. I think a Saban type is needed for the situation. No more "PA guys".
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Didn't Day hint that if Hartline had to go early, he would support that? Might have it mixed with something else.
Yep. Hartline will be tomorrow's flavor.
If Hartline has the understanding that winning is the objective, has urgency, and builds a roster and hires coordinators with that in mind, then I'm good with that.
Agree, while he has the most risk, he also has the most upside in my opinion. Let's break PSU's tradition of playing to not lose, and go for the win!Yep. Hartline will be tomorrow's flavor.
If Hartline has the understanding that winning is the objective, has urgency, and builds a roster and hires coordinators with that in mind, then I'm good with that.
I'm beginning to buy into the Hartline thing. First of all, he played high level DI CFB (not Wisconsin - Whitewater or East Stroudsburg), so he experienced big time football as a player. Secondly, he apprenticed under successful coaches and no doubt picked up a first hand understanding of the types of players, schemes, and adjustments required to win. Third, he's a great recruiter so we're told, even though OSU recruits itself. Finally, a head coach is not an OC or DC, but has to hire and interact with them. If he's not insecure or just plain dumb, he will hire talented ones.Agree, while he has the most risk, he also has the most upside in my opinion. Let's break PSU's tradition of playing to not lose, and go for the win!
Big104EvuhDuh
New member
Yep. Hartline will be tomorrow's flavor.
If Hartline has the understanding that winning is the objective, has urgency, and builds a roster and hires coordinators with that in mind, then I'm good with that.
Wait — isn’t “wanting to win quickly and hiring good people” kind of the baseline for every football job, from tutors to the head coach?
I can just picture the interview:
AD: “Coach, where do you stand on winning — pro or con?”
Hartline: “Big fan.”
AD: “Outstanding. And your timeline — soon, eventually, or someday?”
Hartline: “Let’s shoot for someday, but with urgency.”
AD: “Perfect. Now, pick your coordinators! We've got a preference, but need to see if it aligns with yours:
- 1. Urgent and want to win
- 2. Patient but want to win
3. Fast-moving but unclear on winning - 4. Timeless beings unburdened by results.
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It's more like...
"Coach, we are in an era where we are asking fans and donors to ante up big time. We are paying players big time and spending a lot of money on our entertainment infrastructure. We now must provide championships. If we cared about anything else, then we might as well be that football program over in Lewisburg."
Big104EvuhDuh
New member
Fair enough. An astute coach might think that those expectations don't align with several realities, namely: Recruiting, NIL payouts, statistical variance. Furthermore, the urgency and immediacy with which you're chasing flashy success make it unlikely that any coach can survive the variance involved. For every Cignetti at Indiana there are 10 programs that are getting ready to dump coaches at ridiculous cost- some of which have more resources. The history that seems to be some kind of cash of the realm around here actually hurts the prospects since it worsens the delta between expectations and reality.
I can't imagine that a prospective candidate would expect to outperform Obrien and Franklin given the realities. They could make a financial decision with a big enough bounty, essentially leveraging past success and recency bias to extract the largest amount of cash in a short time. PSU will be the end of the next coach's career and they'll know that going in. I suppose there is a 10 percent change that I'm wrong, but it won't be based on superlative reverence for 'winning' if I am.
I can't imagine that a prospective candidate would expect to outperform Obrien and Franklin given the realities. They could make a financial decision with a big enough bounty, essentially leveraging past success and recency bias to extract the largest amount of cash in a short time. PSU will be the end of the next coach's career and they'll know that going in. I suppose there is a 10 percent change that I'm wrong, but it won't be based on superlative reverence for 'winning' if I am.
Cignetti's a football guy. He has a basic understanding of team balance and player talent required. And I mean some 1960's basics like blocking, tackling, and hitting open receivers. Other programs will transition to that model eventually, but right now, their admins and coaches are playing pretend . With Penn State, for example, there was too much rationalizing and being nice. We all knew of Franklin's glaring football weaknesses ("long/rangy tackles", "explosive plays", "RPO blocking"), but "he represented Penn State well". GTFOOH. You can't semi play for championships. Loyalty, player tenure, academics (e.g. physics, math) need to be completely tossed. It's big boy pro football now, like it or not, and until the networks, conferences, and Vegas say otherwise, that's how the game must be played.
Agree, sadly.
NittanyLion99
Well-known member
I like JF as a person. I dislike him as a big time FB coach. I wish him and his family the best. Post firing I was getting very frustrated at people claiming that JF was wronged. "He was 104-45. He deserved better." Nonsense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was all Franklin's doing. Every time he got mentioned for an open HC position, JF was silent. He leveraged the uncertainty to get raises, extensions, facility upgrades and "branding" from the university. He complained about needing more NIL. He continuously talked about being "elite" at football. He didn't talk about "being a good representative of PSU." You don't get to raise expectations, drive salary increases, get NIL support, and demand facility upgrades, and then lose every game against teams of same/similar talent. It also didn't help that he continuously made in-game coaching decisions that every fan knew were ridiculous.
Franklin played a dangerous game of his own making, and he lost. I don't care what happens. I have no remorse. If PSU stinks for the next 10 years, I have NO remorse at his firing. At least Kraft is trying. Sitting on JF would be resigning the program to 2nd tier status in perpetuity.
He played a dangerous game, but his worst case scenario, which was realized, was very padded by the pay out. I thought he was an excellent steward of the program though. And the entire NIL situation is relatively new to everyone, some programs seem to crush it quickly, others seem to be coming along now. And others, who knows. I will reserve judgement for now, until I know who the new coach is.
I do agree something was amiss, especially with our receivers leaving every year, that couldn't be helpful, especially for Allar. And I felt preseason there would be an issue relying on schemes (or the talk of that constantly). Here is OSU's scheme, their WR lines up, he sprints like a beast to create space and into space, and catches the ball. Simplifying things and the WRs were just part of it.
If I were Kraft (I wish), and I knew this season, if there is any material slip, Franklin is gone, I might have been having friendly discussions with agents this past summer. Maybe he did? I just hope there is an upgrade.
The Spin Meister
Well-known member
Mostly accurate but we are not on the same level as Ohio State talent wise. Compare five stars. Four stars. How many get drafted. How many become starters or get significant playing time. Not even close.
Probably same for Michigan. Georgia. ‘bama. Notre Dame. Oregon. That’s why we lose second half leads…..we don’t have the depth and one or two injuries and/or tired players and the defense falters.
Yes he made a lot of boneheaded calls. Our receivers have been sub par for years. The scheme is really weak…..and he has fired five OCs in seven years ….IIRC…..that shows he is not good judge of coaching abilities.
And his last two weeks he looked shell shocked. List. Confused. Deer in the headlights.
Thank him for rebuilding a program in disarray. Restoring a positive image. But it was time for a change.
Wish him extreme happiness and success in the future…..unless we face him on the field.
You're both correct. A self-interested guy who did not do well managing games and hiring coaches, and dropped off further and further in the recruiting race (exascerbated by the earlier points). A constant downward trend. Lots of luck to him as he spends more time with his family.
The Spin Meister
Well-known member
I’m liking Terry Smith more n more
Big104EvuhDuh
New member
The coaching search should be incredibly easy then since every fan knows exactly what Franklin was doing wrong. These outlines are priceless! Just about any mouth breather with a pulse should be able to (let me make sure I have the basics down)
- 1. Have a basic understanding of the talent required, but from the perspective of the 60's
- 2. Teach blocking, tackling and hitting... again, as if it's 1960
- 3. Train players not to bend OR break- consequences for every failure.
- 4. Preach that players, coaches, brains and learning are expendable commodities- keeps it edgy AF!
- 5. FULLY want championships instead of semi wanting them. This might require a Morale Corps or some kind of secret team attitude police. Seriously, you've cracked the code here!