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IN BRIEF • Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell said in December that Penn State studentathletes are getting medical care that is comparable to the care offered at other schools. Mitchell, who has been monitoring Penn State's athletics program at the behest of the NCAA, said that the university's decision to replace Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli as team physician – a decision that prompted a harshly critical story in Sports Illustrated this past May – had not compromised the care that Penn State football players receive. Mitchell stated in his report that "the quality of the healthcare afforded football student-athletes is consistent with the standard of care provided by comparable intercollegiate football programs. Sebastianelli continues to " serve as the school's director of athletic medicine. • All-Big Ten defensive tackle DaQuan Jones has accepted an invitation to play in the 65th Senior Bowl. Jones will participate in the all-star contest on Jan. 25. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The NFL Network will televise the contest. A 2013 co-captain, Jones will be the 20th Nittany Lion to play in the Senior Bowl in the past 10 years. Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill played in the 2013 Senior Bowl, and defensive end Jack Crawford, cornerback D'Anton Lynn and guard Johnnie Troutman played in the 2012 game. Additional Penn State seniors are expected to accept all-star game invitations. • Penn State is set to conduct a national search for a new women's tennis coach after Dawna Denny-Wine announced her resignation Dec. 6. Chris Cagle, an assistant coach with the men's tennis team, will serve as interim women's coach for the 2014 season. Denny-Wine was in her seventh season at the helm of the team. She went 50-86 at Penn State and 115162 in 12 seasons as a head coach. Before coming to Penn State, she was head coach at North Texas. Cagle was in his third season as a Penn State assistant men's tennis coach under head coach Jeff I Zinn. THE MONTH IN... TWEETS BLOGS OPINIONS O'Brien jokingly apologizes for "Nascar" Banquet as coaches depart soon to watch potential future Nittany Lions in #PIAA championship game. @PENNSTATEFBALL Many believe that O'Brien does the majority of the quarterback coaching at PSU. If that's true, Fisher's replacement could have a slightly different role. An offensive coordinator is possible, though it's hard to imagine O'Brien relinquishing play-calling duties. A special teams coach is another potential option, but don't rule out a new quarterback coach with a more versatile recruiting role. TIM TOLLEY BLEACHERREPORT.COM I've said all along, I think O'Brien is an NFL guy and will bolt for the league as soon as the right opportunity comes along. The Nittany Nation then can wish him well for his outstanding work, which will include leaving the PSU program in much better shape than it was when he arrived in the early stages of the Sandusky scandal in January of 2012. The key here is which opportunity O'Brien would view as the right one. CORY GIGER ALTOONA MIRROR I may be proven wrong in the coming weeks. But I don't think Bill O'Brien is some shameless carpetbagger of the Todd Graham design – two years here, two years there and on and on up an endless career ladder. I think when he signed the current freshman class, including his prize pupil quarterback Christian Hackenberg, it was understood he'd see them through at least the first halves of their college careers. I honestly don't think he has the stomach to turn his back on them. DAVID JONES THE (HARRISBURG) PATRIOT-NEWS

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