New PSU head coach makes good first impression

Zach Laufer, Staff Writer

January 17, 2014

The departure of coach Bill O’Brien left Happy Valley in a state of disarray, coming only two years into the post-Paterno era.

O’Brien left Penn State with a couple years left on his contract to take the head coaching job of the Houston Texans. Not many outside of State College believed this was his destination job, and most had a hunch he would want a taste of the professional ranks sooner or later. Penn State just thought it would be later rather than sooner, A LOT later.

Thus began another unusual feeling of instability for fans. Penn State was left coach-less once again.

The board interviewed a couple of potential coaches, including Miami(FL) head coach Al Golden and ex-Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak.

But it was a lesser known candidate that stole the show in Vanderbilt coach James Franklin. Franklin is from Pennsylvania and played quarterback for East Stroudsburg College in PA. In three years, Vandy went 24-15 under Franklin, going 9-4 the last two seasons.

The board announced Franklin as PSU’s new head coach on Saturday, Jan. 11, and his interview got fans excited.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to come home,” Franklin said in the release. “I grew up watching Penn State football and now to be at the helm of such a storied program is a tremendous honor. It’s important to me to be a part of a University that strives for excellence in everything they do. When football student-athletes come to Penn State, they have a unique opportunity to receive a premium education while playing at the highest level of competition.” – via The Daily Collegian

Among other things, Franklin will bring a blue-collar mentality to the program. He is the 16th head coach in PSU history. For most State fans, hopefully the 17th won’t be announced for quite some time.

At least, maybe a little longer than the last one…

About the Contributor

Zach Laufer, Staff Writer

Balancing work, academics, and extra curricular activities, Zach Laufer is a model student at BPHS. He has a part time job at Famous Footwear shoe store."It's a great job, let me tell you," Zach said. In addition to that, Zach is musically talented. He is in both the Symphonic Band as a percussionist and Bethel Park's Top 21. Zach is also in the Marching Band. In the Marching Band, Zach is a bus monitor and drum captain this year. He plays the quads, which he says is technically "a quint." "There's a little extra one right in the middle," Zach said. As far as athletics, Zach is on the tennis team. He has been on the tennis team since his junior year. Through Hawk Eye, Zach hopes to hone in on his writing skills before he leaves for college after this year. He hopes one day to pursue a career in sports journalism at either Penn State or Robert Morris University. One day he hopes to be a sports beat writer or radio DJ. "Sports is the only thing that interests me writing wise," Zach said. Zach is excited to become a part of the Hawk Eye and looks forward to making the newspaper better throughout his senior year. Written by Katie Zilcosky, Staff Writer