Penn State Football: Analyzing the Work of Bill O'Brien

It has been four months since Bill O'Brien became the head coach at Penn State, stepping into a not-so-envious position in replacing Joe Paterno. He arrived in the midst of controversy and was not immediately embraced by the Penn State fanbase.

With the focus shifting to the summer and preparing for the 2012 season, let's assess O'Brien's actions to this point to see how he has been doing.

Retaining Larry Johnson Sr.

It was expected that few coaches from last year's staff would be back for 2012, but Larry Johnson Sr. was too much of an asset for O'Brien not to bring back.

Johnson is a tremendous defensive line coach, and his recruiting connections and influence in some of Penn State's key recruiting territories is something that is not easy to replace.

O'Brien announced the return of Johnson during his introductory press conference, and the news was well received by the fans in attendance.

Clearly, this was a good decision because not only does it keep one of the top assistant coaches on the staff with recruiting prowess but it helped smooth O'Brien's transition with alumni and the so-called Penn State family.

Retaining Ron Vanderlinden

In addition to Larry Johnson Sr., O'Brien made a decision to bring back Ron Vanderlinden. The linebacker coach should ensure that the signature position at Penn State continues to be strong.

The return of Vanderlinden and Johnson is tremendous news for the defense.

Chalk this up as another solid decision by O'Brien.

Assembling Coaching Staff

Since only two assistant coaches were retained from the previous staff, there was plenty of room for turnover on O'Brien's new staff. He called upon a number of coaches he has worked with before.

Charlie Fisher (quarterbacks), Charlie London (running backs), John Strollo (tight ends) and Stan Hixon (wide receivers) will hope to get more out of the offense this fall, while Mac McWhorter is charged with improving the offensive line. Strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald is seeing improvement with a new training routine and equipment.

The one coaching hire that brought about the most negative reaction was Ted Roof, the defensive coordinator. While history shows that Roof's defenses fail to dazzle, it should be noted that Roof has never been with a program with the kind of defensive history as Penn State, and he has Johnson and Vanderlinden helping him out.

Still, only time will tell just how effective this new coaching staff will be. It might be unfair to judge them at this point. For now, there is not enough information to properly assess the new staff.

Recruiting

Given all of the changes and fallout from the coaching changes at Penn State, Bill O'Brien and his staff did everything they could to salvage a recruiting class for 2012. The Class of 2013 is off to a fast start as well, keyed by the verbal commitment of the nation's top tight end and in-state product, Adam Breneman.

Penn State's recruiting is going strong, and O'Brien is not shying away from many of the tough questions he is facing along the way.

As a first-time head coach at a school still picking up pieces from an off-field scandal, O'Brien is selling the message that the quality of the program and school still speaks for itself.

Penn State Caravan

One of the first things O'Brien wanted to do once he got through spring practice was to meet with Penn State alumnae.

A multi-stop bus tour was how he went about doing it. O'Brien made trips to all corners of Pennsylvania and to nearby states like Ohio, Maryland, New York and more.

The trip was a rewarding experience for O'Brien, and those who attended have come away feeling good about the coaching hire made by Penn State.

Of all of the decisions O'Brien has made to this point, this may have been the most critically acclaimed.

Relating with Lettermen

As referenced earlier, the hiring of O'Brien was not exactly well-received by some former Penn State players. O'Brien knew this, of course, which is why he read a letter he drafted to the lettermen during his introductory press conference in January.

Since then, O'Brien has met with former players whenever possible, including following the death of Joe Paterno and during the weekend of the Blue-White game. Some former players have attended O'Brien's stops on the PSU caravan as well, giving them a chance to hear the coach speak and answer questions.

Slowly, O'Brien is winning over some of his naysayers one by one.

Speaking to Media

Bill O'Brien has been making sure to remain as open with the media as he can. He has taken a number of opportunities to answer questions, including media sessions before each stop on his recent caravan.

He knows that there are plenty of questions to be answered, and that people have questions about players on the team, the future of the offense and more.

Clearly, this is a huge change in approach to the media, who are still adjusting to the increased access offered by the new regime.

The best part is that O'Brien is making an effort to connect with the people who cover the team. He gets it, and that's a very good thing.

Quarterback Decision

It seems as though O'Brien is close to deciding on a starting quarterback. That is great news for Penn State fans, who saw the team rotate between Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin last season.

Whatever the decision, at least a decision will be made. That itself should be considered a significant step forward.

Even if it ends up being the wrong decision, few fans will probably criticize the coach for being decisive after the mess of a situation he inherited.

Maintaining the Standard

O'Brien has been very careful not to change too much since taking the job. He has been respectful of the way Joe Paterno molded the program, basing success on academics as much as on the field.

O'Brien knows that there is no replacing Paterno, and he is just trying to be himself. While attempting to be his own voice for Penn State, O'Brien has indicated he plans to continue many of the methods used by Paterno, on and off the field.

One of his first decisions was to assure everybody that he will not be touching the uniforms. This was met with wild approval, making it almost impossible for him to ever change his mind.

He is also keeping the tradition of riding to the stadium on the blue school buses before each game.

Establishing Traditions

Sure, O'Brien wants to keep many of the traditions at Penn State. He also wants to establish new traditions as well.

One of the traditions O'Brien has announced will be the team gathering in the end zone to sing the alma mater with the Penn State Blue Band after each game. It is an idea that has been done in other places, but never at Penn State. While it is something new, it is an idea that has already been embraced by many.

What will he think of next?

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast, managing editor of Nittany Lions Den and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Football Foundation. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.