Blue White Illustrated

F O O T B A L L N O T E S to support staff The upheaval at Penn State is PSU makes changes continuing – not just on the side- line but throughout the football organization. The university recently parted ways with Guido D'Elia, its direc- tor of communications and branding for football and the marketing mastermind behind the White Out phenomenon. D'Elia told the Centre Daily Times that the university "decid- ed to go in a different direction." In addition, three part-time members of D'Elia's staff were let go, and the university will no longer employ D'Elia's Pittsburgh-based firm Mind Over Media to produce "The Penn State Football Story." The university also reassigned Tom Venturino, its longtime director of football operations. Defensive end dismissed Redshirt freshman defensive end Shawn Oakman has been dismissed from the team, Penn State announced Feb. 28. In a statement, the university said the dismissal was due to a viola- tion of team rules. Oakman signed with Penn State in 2011 out of Penn Wood High in Lansdowne, Pa. He was ranked the 250th-best prospect nationally by Rivals.com. Dozier, Wisniewski on Hall of Fame ballot Two members of Penn State's 1986 national championship team – tailback D.J. Dozier and guard Steve Wisniewski – are under consideration for induction into the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame. The Penn State All-Americans are on the national ballot and have a chance to join 17 former Lions who are already enshrined. 8 M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 2 PHI L 'S CORNER O'Brien's first month on the job illustrates determination to succeed I t's called making a commitment. In my mind, that is exactly what Bill O'Brien did on Jan. 6 when he was introduced as Penn State's head football coach. When the Jerry Sandusky scandal erupted in November, Nittany Lion football fans were bombarded with media coverage suggesting the pro- gram had become toxic and that no legitimate professional or Division I coach would be interested in the job. The protracted nature of the search led some to predict that Penn State was in a no-win situa- tion and that the program was like- ly to languish. Keeping that in mind – and not knowing much about his back- ground when he was introduced – it only seemed natural to wonder if O'Brien knew the scope of the chal- lenge he was taking on. But after seeing what he has been able to accomplish since Jan 6., I'm convinced he is prepared to make the commitment that will be neces- sary to get the job done. I can say without reservation that O'Brien has a plan for success at Penn State. That plan started with the assem- bly of his staff. In the week follow- ing his introduction as coach, he had eight of his nine assistant coaches on board. The first step he took was announcing at his intro- ductory news conference that Larry Johnson had agreed to stay on as defensive line coach. Shortly after Johnson's announcement, it was revealed that Ron Vanderlinden was returning as linebackers coach. These were important moves, because, in my opinion, Johnson W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M and Vanderlinden are two of the top five coaches in the country at their respective positions. Then O'Brien amped up the process by hiring Stan Hixon as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, Mac McWhorter as offensive line coach and Ted Roof as defensive coordinator. These coach- es provide Penn State with the cor- nerstone of a staff that is equal to any in the Big Ten. Hixon was on the staff at LSU in 2003 when the Tigers won a nation- al championship, serving as assis- tant head coach and receivers coach. Many in Baton Rouge say he was the team's best receivers coach in a couple of decades. McWhorter spent 10 years at Texas, where he developed a repu- tation as the best offensive line coach in the Big 12. Seven of his players were named All-America and 12 won All-Big 12 recognition. As for Roof, the statistics his defenses compiled at Auburn may not indicate how important he was to the Tigers' 2010 national cham- pionship. The focus that year was on quarterback Cam Newton, but Auburn's defense also turned in several pivotal performances, including a great effort against Oregon in the BCS Championship Game. In addition to building a strong coaching staff, O'Brien has done a remarkable job of reaching out to the media. He did a series of one- on-one interviews with Penn State beat reporters while he was prepar- ing for the Super Bowl, conducted a teleconference on signing day and recently invited reporters to attend a 5:15 a.m. team workout. There's been no word yet about whether any upcoming practice ses- sions will be open, but the access so far has been encouraging. The coverage it has generated has helped the football program move forward, shifting the focus back onto on-field action and building anticipation for the future. Also, O'Brien has worked to repair Penn State's relationship with the Pennsylvania Coaches Association. The first thing he did following his introductory news conference in January was reach out to the 25 high school coaches who were selecting the Pennsylvania Big 33 team. That outreach effort is ongoing. Between now and the end of May, O'Brien will be a featured speaker at six high school football clinics in Pennsylvania. The last time a Penn State head coach attended these types of clinics was when Joe Paterno was visiting them in the mid-1990s. Finally, O'Brien has established a SEE CORNER, PAGE 37

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