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be something of an aberration. O'Brien said that while down-and-distance considerations will continue to drive his on-field coaching decisions, he would prefer to take fewer risks. "I made mistakes during games," he said. "Going for it on fourth down as much as I did, probably a few of those looking back, I probably should have punted or kicked a field goal or something. Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes. I tried to review those mistakes this year, this off-season, and correct them." One aspect of O'Brien's first-year performance that might not be open to review, figuratively speaking, is the interaction he had with some game officials a season ago. He was involved in a few memorable confrontations with referees during the course of the 2012 season and is still waiting for answers to some of his inquiries regarding controversial calls. "In the Wisconsin game, I didn't understand why I couldn't be told what the booth review person saw on [Brandon] Felder's nontouchdown catch," O'Brien said. "I felt like, why couldn't he just tell me what he saw there, even just to teach the kid a little bit better about how to catch that ball and keep your feet in bounds and things like that? "I'm a competitive guy. I think everybody who's involved in this game should be held accountable. I think the refs in the Big Ten do a good job. I'm not saying that [they don't]. I just think we're all in a competitive environment, and I just want to know what their interpretation of the rule is in certain instances." Drawing their energy from that competitive spirit, the Nittany Lions are set to continue their evolution in the coming years. The goal is to seek perfection, and even if perfection is an unattainable standard, its pursuit provides direction and focus. It's likely to be one of the few areas of the program that will remain consistent for as long as O'Brien's tenure at Penn State lasts. At a place that prided itself on consistency for so many years, Year One under O'Brien seemingly proved that change isn't such a bad thing after all. BETH ALFORD-SULLIVAN CAEL SANDERSON CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD WRESTLING Coaching four teams – Alford-Sullivan oversees both the men's and women's programs – is a huge challenge in itself. But the Penn State veteran has handled it with aplomb. The women's cross country squad finished 14th at nationals, the team's third top-15 finish in the past four years, while also winning recognition for having the best team GPA of any Penn State varsity squad (3.46 for the 2011-12 academic year). Meanwhile, the women's track and field squad won the Big Ten outdoor title for the fourth time in the past six years, after which Alford-Sullivan was named the league's Coach of the Year. Add another national championship to Sanderson's resume. The Nittany Lions have now finished on top in three of his four seasons at Penn State. And with four of last season's five NCAA finalists set to return in 2013-14, Penn State appears entirely capable of making it four in a row. GUY GADOWSKY MEN'S ICE HOCKEY Gadowsky wasn't tasked with cleaning up a radioactive mess, as Bill O'Brien was. The ice hockey program had the opposite problem: an absence of history. But with a roster that featured 10 freshmen and a few holdovers from the Icers club team, Gadowsky guided the Nittany Lions to a 13-14 finish in their first varsity season. What's more, Penn State went 3-2 against its future Big Ten rivals, ending its season with 3-2 overtime road victory over No. 16 Wisconsin. RUSS ROSE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL What would this list be without Rose? The Nittany Lions' longtime mentor helped them get their mojo back after they bowed out of the 2011 NCAA tournament in the regional semifinals. The Lions didn't make it all the way back, as they fell to Oregon in the national semifinals last December. But their disappointment after the 3-1 loss to the Ducks is a testament to what Rose has accomplished. On this team, only the best will do. ERICA WALSH WOMEN'S SOCCER Walsh was named National Coach of the Year by both Soccer America and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after guiding the Nittany Lions to their 15th consecutive Big Ten championship, then leading them to the College Cup final for the first time in their history.

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