Bill O'Brien to Penn State: 5 Coaches the Lions Should Have Gone for Instead

For years, many have speculated and wondered about who would eventually take over for legendary, and now disgraced, coach Joe Paterno at Penn State.

Well, we now have an answer. 

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the successor to Joe Paterno will be New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. 

Yes, the same Bill O'Brien who became a viral star when cameras caught him and star quarterback Tom Brady getting into a heated exchange on the Patriots' sideline a few weeks ago.

Other than that highly played clip, though, not much was really known about Bradley before this hiring, and some have questioned if he was truly the best coaching candidate to take over at Penn State, given all that the job is going to entail in the coming years. 

Only time will tell if O'Brien can handle all that's going to be thrown his way over the next few years, but there were at least five more experienced college coaches that were better fits for the job.

Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren has been the one I've been rooting for the most to get the Penn State job ever since Joe Paterno was fired, but Doeren never got a sniff from the Nittany Lions. 

It's a shame, because Doeren has the perfect makeup to fit what Penn State is looking for in a future leader of the program. 

This year, the 40-year-old coach went 11-3 and won a MAC championship with the Huskies in his first season at the helm.

Doeren, a former Wisconsin defensive coordinator, knows the Big Ten well enough to go to Penn State and stabilize the team, and he's got the type of youth, passion and trustworthiness that could win over a fanbase like Penn State's.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

I know Pat Fitzgerald sounds happy and content at Northwestern, but I was shocked that Penn State never seriously pursued him. 

Fitzgerald has led the Wildcats to four straight bowl games, and he's the type of young, successful coach who has all the traits and the experience that a school like Penn State needs in a head coach right now. 

If the 37-year-old coach was interested in the challenge of rebuilding the Nittany Lions, I thought this could have been a slam-dunk hire.

Tim Murphy, Harvard

There was a rumor swirling around a few weeks ago that Penn State had Harvard coach Tim Murphy high atop its wish list, but nothing ever seemed to come of it. 

Murphy was a solid coaching target for the Nittany Lions, whether he was ever really a favorite of theirs or not. 

After failing to ever do much at Cincinnati for the five seasons he was there from 1989 to 1993, Murphy moved to the Ivy League and turned Harvard into a consistent conference contender, winning six championships since 1994, including one this past season.

Murphy's got the type of persona that would fit in well at Penn State right now.

Mario Cristobal, Florida International

If you're looking for a passionate coach with strong leadership traits, then all you have to do is turn to Florida International to find it. 

That's where Mario Cristobal has been working on one of the best rebuilding jobs in college football for the past five years. 

After going 0-12 in his first season, Cristobal has managed to build one of the top programs in the Sun Belt, as he's recently guided the Golden Panthers to their first two bowl games in program history.

The former assistant at both Miami and Rutgers knows how to coach at a big-time school, and he's got the type of attitude that a program like Penn State needs right now.

Tom Bradley

Judging by the fact that the Penn State powers that be have likely always been set on the idea of cleaning house and ridding the program of anyone left from the Joe Paterno era, no one was ever really expecting interim head coach Tom Bradley to ever actually have a good chance to win the job.

Still, that doesn't mean that Bradley wouldn't have been a nice stopgap for a few years, as the school and the program try to navigate their way through upcoming rough waters.

Sure, Bradley wasn't able to get the team properly motivated for the bowl game. However, he was able to conduct and handle himself well throughout the entire time he was acting head coach, and he did his job the best way you have to in the type of situation he was in.  

Bradley certainly wasn't the long-term answer, but he was a guy who knows Penn State, loves Penn State and understands everything involved with the program. 

Having Tom Bradley try to right the ship and take the brunt of the storm that the program is about to face for the next few years—and then bring in a more high-profile coach once everything's stable—wouldn't have been the worst strategy for Penn State.