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Mr. O’Brien Goes to Washington
He signed 21 autographs. He posed for 68 photos. He shook 101 hands.
That was the tally—part of it, anyway—for Bill O’Brien Tuesday night in Washington D.C., on the fourth stop of the Penn State Coaches Caravan. For about 40 minutes—from the time he entered the ballroom at the Washington Hilton until the time he excused himself to make his way up to the stage—I watched O’Brien stand at the front an impromptu receiving line and greet Penn State alumni and fans. For those 40 minutes, I tracked every interaction O’Brien had.
Washington seemed the right place to document the most campaign-like aspect of the caravan, and O’Brien’s role in it. I joked before I stepped onto the bus Monday morning that I felt a bit like a reporter embedding with a presidential candidate; seeing O’Brien address the handshake line for the fourth time in two days—knowing how many more hands he’ll shake, pictures he’ll take, and autographs he’ll sign in the coming days and weeks—only reinforced the analogy. (more…)
The Bill & Patrick Show
I’m back on the bus now between Baltimore and Washington, en route from the third to the fourth stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan. As has been the case for every leg of our trip so far, Bill O’Brien and Patrick Chambers are posted up in the back of the bus, each habitually working their phones. They’ve been on those phones quite a bit over the past day and a half, but they’ve also spent a lot of time trading stories and banter. Watching and listening to them interact has been a blast.
Anyone who’s paid attention to Chambers since his arrival 11 months ago knows what the Nittany Lion basketball coach is all about: energy, intensity, and passion. O’Brien’s public personality isn’t quite as obvious; he’s intense, certainly, but not the non-stop salesman that Chambers (literally, a salesman before he was a coach) has shown himself to be. But these guys have enough obviously in common that it wasn’t hard to guess they’d get along.
Do they ever.
What I’ve been fortunate to see on the bus, alumni and fans have gotten a taste of at the three caravan stops so far. O’Brien and Chambers play off each other perfectly, riffing on each other’s roots in provincial East Coast sports towns (greater Boston for O’Brien, the Philly burbs for Chambers), their similar no-nonsense haircuts, and their insistence on being not just colleagues but teammates at Penn State.
That last part is worth talking more about. These men are similar in age (O’Brien is 42, Chambers 41) and experience. Both have young children. Most important, both have been on campus less than a year. As the football coach at Penn State, O’Brien will always be the focus of greater public attention, but in all the ways that matter to these guys, they genuinely seem to see each other as equals, and men who can contribute to each other’s success.
On the stage Tuesday in Baltimore, O’Brien joked about bringing the football team to watch basketball games next season “whether they like it or not” and opening up the revamped Nittany Lion weight room to other student-athletes. Chambers mentioned a burly incoming basketball recruit who “looks like a defensive end,” then glanced back at O’Brien as he warned the coach off his soon-to-be player. It goes on and on. There’s a natural vibe between these two—fellow jocks, to be sure, but not dumb ones. It’s been great watching it develop.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Blair Thomas Joins the Caravan in Drexel Hill
The second stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan came Monday night in Drexel Hill, a short drive from downtown Philadelphia. Patrick Chambers and Char Morett were buzzing about being in front of a hometown crowd, while Bill O’Brien brought out the PowerPoint presentation he put together to outline his philosophy for the Penn State football program. (You never saw a crowd so interested in a PowerPoint.) It was a terrific night in front of 600 or so Penn Staters.
The evening featured one unexpected highlight: The presence of local product and Nittany Lion legend Blair Thomas, who took pictures and signed autographs for much of the evening.
We’re in Baltimore today for lunch, then on to D.C. tonight for dinner. Much more to come.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Watching Bill O’Brien
I’m doing double-duty of sorts on this Penn State Coaches Caravan bus trip, which left State College bright and early Monday morning and continues on tonight in Drexel Hill, Pa. I’m doing this, obviously—blogging and tweeting when the WiFi cooperates to share the scene as Bill O’Brien and the other coaches on the trip get out and meet Penn Staters. But I’m also mindful of the O’Brien profile I’m working on for the July/August issue of The Penn Stater.
In watching him at a handful of press conferences, interviewing him one-on-one in his office a few weeks back, spending a few days with him this week on the bus, and in at least one other unlikely interaction I’ll share at some point, I’ve gotten a pretty good picture of how Bill O’Brien comes across. He is blunt, but he also can be very funny. He’s heard enough of the same questions dozens of times over the past few months, and you can tell which ones he doesn’t mind answering, and which he’d probably rather not hear again. But as me made clear at lunch Monday in Philly, he sees the value in answering them all.
He met with reporters for 15 minutes before the lunchtime gathering at the Doubletree on Broad Street, then took most of the questions (Char Morett and Patrick Chambers joined him onstage) from alumni after lunch. Throughout, O’Brien was on message—and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. His is not the sort of job in which one can focus only on one thing, and certainly recruiting and keeping tabs on his current team keep him busy enough. But he is clearly and impressively focused right now on converting the masses of Penn Staters to his cause. He insisted, as he will again and again, that academics matter. That integrity and respect will be words associated with the program as long as he’s in charge of it. And while he made no promises, he certainly talked about winning football games.
Bill O’Brien has been making a great first impression for four months now, and he looks likely to keep that up for the next couple of weeks. The games will come in the fall and results will largely determine how he’s received; for now, he’s doing all he can to show Penn Staters, in his always blunt, occasionally funny way, that he’s one of us. “I’m no longer an outsider,” he said Monday, talking about the welcome he and his family have received in Happy Valley. “I feel like a Penn Stater now.”
Ryan Jones, senior editor
On the Road with the Penn State Coaches Caravan
It’s a beautiful morning for a bus trip. And the bus isn’t too shabby, either.
I’m one of a dozen or so people on this impressively customized Fullington Trailways bus en route to Philadelphia for the first stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan. Bill O’Brien and Patrick Chambers are on board, and more coaches are set to join us over the next two and a half days; you can find all the details here. I’ll be posting throughout the first leg of the trip, so keep an eye out for photos, video, and conversations with the coaches. And if you’re on Twitter, search #psucaravan for updates.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Bill O’Brien Hits the Road
The arrival of our May/June issue means we’re well into work on our July/August edition. Among the features we’re working on is a profile of Bill O’Brien, who just wrapped up his first spring practice. I’m in the midst of reporting that one, a task that so far has included a 6:30 a.m. interview with O’Brien in his office; anyone who knows me knows the scheduled time must’ve been his idea.
Busy as he’s been, O’Brien has found time to do plenty of interviews. He’s spoken repeatedly since his hiring about the importance to reaching out to Penn State alumni and fans, and making himself available to reporters is only part of that plan. Starting next week, he’ll take his show on the road.
On Monday, O’Brien will lead the Penn State Coaches Caravan on a nine-day, 18-city tour throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states. I’m fortunate to have a spot on the bus for the first leg of the caravan, which starts next week with a Monday lunch gathering in Philadelphia and includes stops in Drexel Hill, Pa., Baltimore, Washington D.C., Richmond, Va., and Harrisburg. And that’s just the first three days; the next two weeks will include stops in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Ohio, and elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
I’ll be blogging from early stops on the caravan, which will feature O’Brien at every stop and appearances from additional Penn State coaches. If you’re not already signed up for one of the stops, you can register and find more information here. A few are at capacity, but tickets are still available for most of the events.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
A Dry Run for a New Era
It was, in many ways, like any other Blue-White Saturday. Tailgaters crowded into the lots around Beaver Stadium, and the fans who made it into the building came hoping the rain would hold off, and wondering if an obvious starting quarterback would emerge. But there were plenty of signs, both inside the stadium and out, of just how different this year’s spring football game was.
Walking up through the paved lots across Curtain Road, I saw a banner towering over a tailgate bearing the message “Joe Deserved Better.” Not far from there, a table was set up with stickers and flyers promoting a few of the 86 candidates for this year’s Board of Trustees race. Inside, the rules for the scrimmage promised a new and novel scoring system — two points for an “explosive” play of 15 yards or more, and defensive scoring opportunities (six points for a turnover, four for a sack) — meant to increase the game’s competitiveness. And of course, there was the big guy in the ball cap and sweats pacing the sideline, Penn State’s new man in charge.
It is, as we knew it would be, a new day for the Nittany Lions.
Ultimately, we didn’t learn much in the defense’s 77-65 “win” that’ll mean much this fall. The quarterbacks remain a work in progress (though backups Shane McGregor and especially Paul Jones both showed signs that they’ll make the race interesting), and there’s no telling just how tight a grasp these players have of the potentially potent pro-style offense that Bill O’Brien brought with him from the New England Patriots. Those answers won’t come until the fall. What was clear is that Penn Staters’ passion for their program shows no signs of having waned. That’s not surprising, really, but it was still something we hadn’t had a chance to actually see.
What we saw Saturday: An estimated 60,000 people made their way into Beaver Stadium for a scrimmage, on an afternoon when the forecast called for day-long rain. The clouds lingered, but not until well after the game ended and the stadium was empty did the rain start to fall.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Happy Birthday to the All-Sports Museum
There’s no shortage of things to do in Happy Valley this weekend. The annual Blue-White Game on Saturday is the big draw, of course, and on Friday, the university will officially break ground on the site of the Pegula Ice Arena. But there’s also an anniversary to celebrate.
The Penn State All-Sports Museum opened its doors in 2002, and the museum — located at the southwest corner of Beaver Stadium — is celebrating its 10-year milestone this weekend. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, the museum will host tours, and feature kid-friendly activities, games, films and refreshments. Click here for more information.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
For Coquese Washington, an Emotional Renewal of Vows
Coquese Washington held a press conference Monday afternoon. It came on short notice and without a stated purpose, but after reports last week that Washington had interviewed for the vacant head coach position at Michigan, it seemed obvious she was going to clarify her job status. Given that there were no rumors trickling out of Ann Arbor—and that it would be a joint press conference with Penn State acting athletic director Dave Joyner—the local media consensus was that Washington was staying put.
We guessed right on that. What none of us predicted was the emotion with which she explained her decision.
In 20 minutes at the Bryce Jordan Center media room, Washington repeatedly used words like family, community, and values. She invoked patriotism, Susan B. Anthony, and Dr. Martin Luther King. She re-confirmed her commitment to Penn State in dramatic and emphatic fashion.
Fresh off her fifth season as coach of the Lady Lions, with a Big Ten championship and NCAA Sweet 16 run recently added to her resume, Washington has confirmed the high expectations that came with her hiring. Her success understandably meant other big-time programs might try to pry her away, and while Michigan hasn’t traditionally been very strong in women’s basketball, the Wolverines’ overall athletic success—and the fact that Washington is a Michigan native—meant folks were taking this seriously.
Ultimately, Washington told reporters, we had nothing to worry about. And while she and Joyner acknowledged (without getting specific) that the coach’s contract would reflect her status was one of the most respected young coaches in the nation, Washington said money wasn’t the issue. She said much of what you might expect her to say, about how Penn State felt like home, about her loyalty to her players and staff. But she also made an indirect reference to the fallout from the Sandusky scandal, and when I asked her to clarify—if she didn’t want to be seen as running out on the university in a time of crisis— Washington’s reply was intense.
Speaking of how she’d seen Penn Staters rally in the wake of the scandal, Washington said:
…I see a university that is going to elevate itself because we’re willing to look at ourselves, examine ourselves, at a time, maybe not our best time, but we’re willing to say, “Is this the best that we can do for Penn State alums? Is this the best that we can do academically? Is this the best we can do for the community that supports us so well? Is this the best that we can do for higher education in the country?” That inspired me. That inspired me to be here and to stay here and to make myself and this program the best that it can be because we’re around people who take that challenge head on and we’re going to be better because of it. So, to answer your question, absolutely it was a consideration. Absolutely.
You can read the entire press conference transcript here. And you can count on Coquese Washington being around for a while.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Who Was “Otto,” Anyway?
On Sunday, I stopped in an open house in our State College neighborhood, curious what I’d find. Most of the houses in our area, about a mile south of campus, were built in the 1950s. This one is being sold by the adult children of the late owners, who, it was immediately clear, had taken great care of their home.
I was admiring how well-kept the house was when I noticed something out of place: What looked to be a door where there wasn’t, in fact, a doorway. I asked the realtor about it, and she explained: It was the original decorative door from Otto’s, the on-campus cafe (not to be confused with the State College brew-pub) inside the Kern Building. Turns out the original owners of the house were Otto and Charlotte Mueller, and that Otto was Penn State’s first assistant vice president for Housing and Food Services from 1953 until his retirement in 1978 (he died in 2007, and Charlotte passed in 2010). The door, which I’m kicking myself for not having taken a picture of, appeared to be hand-painted, including a portrait of a smiling Mr. Mueller and the cafe’s daily hours.
From the basement workroom to what appeared to be the original cabinetry, it was obvious that Otto Mueller took good care of the place. I’m guessing that, under his watch, Housing and Food Services was similarly well maintained.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
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