Penn State Scandal: 5 Coaches Who Would Rescue Penn State's Image

With rumors swirling that Penn State is ready to either terminate head coach Joe Paterno's contract or let him walk at the end of the season amid ex-defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky's child sex scandal, there is already conversation regarding who could replace the legend.

While new coaches have been able to turn around programs struck by scandals in the past, nothing quite matches the level of what has happened at Penn State. There is still nothing official regarding Paterno's dismissal, but it is difficult to see him continuing with the Nittany Lions at this point.

Should Paterno leave, Penn State will need a strong personality to take over the head coaching job. The Nittany Lions will need a man who can overcome perhaps the worst scandal in NCAA history. Here are five candidates who could help restore Penn State's image.

Greg Schiano

As important as a winning pedigree will be in whipping Penn State back into shape, it may be equally important to hire a squeaky-clean candidate. One such option would be Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. Not only has Schiano been a model coach at Rutgers, but also used to coach under Joe Paterno at Penn State.

He has been up and down in terms of his success with the Scarlet Knights, but Schiano is just the type of hard-nosed football guy that will be committed to winning and turning the program around. Also, since Rutgers isn't a particularly prestigious job to begin with, Schiano likely wouldn't hesitate to take on the challenge of turning around the Nittany Lions.

As much as this scandal clouds things, Penn State is very much in the hunt for a BCS Bowl berth. With that in mind, Schiano won't be inheriting a barren cupboard, and he will likely have much more talent than he was ever afforded while at Rutgers.

Paul Chryst

One of the hottest head coaching candidates in all of college football is Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. Over the past several seasons Chryst has led extremely successful offenses at both Wisconsin and Oregon State, and is heralded as one of the best assistants in college football.

Chryst has never held a head coaching job, but he would be a great fit for Penn State. He has no rela background to speak of so there isn't much of a threat in terms of controversy. Also, from a football perspective, he should be able to drastically improve a stagnant Penn State offense that is holding the team back from being a true contender.

While Chryst may prefer to wait for a more stable situation, following the legendary Joe Paterno has to appeal to him at least to some degree. If the Nittany Lions are going to start with a clean slate, then they might as well start with fresh blood at head coach. In terms if first-time head coaches, Chryst might be the best choice.

Charlie Weis

The current offensive coordinator at the University of Florida, Charlie Weis would be a great candidate to succeed Joe Paterno at Penn State. As head coach at Notre Dame, Weis had his ups and downs, but he has always been a stand-up guy who has avoided any real controversy.

Notre Dame is generally very selective when it comes to naming head coaches, so it is obvious how highly the program thought of Weis. Not only will Weis' presence ensure that Penn State will be scandal-free, but he is also a great offensive coach who has proven in the past that he can win at every level.

Weis may not be an overly exciting selection, but he would be an exceedingly safe and logical choice for the Nittany Lions. Whether Weis would want to relinquish his cushy position with the Gators is another matter, but he would be a very representative selection for Penn State.

June Jones

Although he wouldn't seem to be the most obvious choice, SMU head coach June Jones has a history of turning around wayward programs. Jones was the first head coach to lead the Mustangs to a winning season since they received the "death penalty" from the NCAA in 1987 for numerous recruiting violations.

Prior to his time at SMU, he also made Hawaii a national power and led it to a BCS Bowl berth. Additionally, Jones has head coaching experience in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers. Overall, Jones has a body of work that few can match.

While he has never had the opportunity to coach in an automatic-qualifying conference, Jones has plenty of big-game experience. He is also regarded as a great motivator and a model leader. It is hard to say whether Jones would want to take on another reclamation project, but he is a very logical candidate.

Urban Meyer

While every candidate previously mentioned in this slideshow has some redeeming quality that would make them a good fit for Penn State, Urban Meyer has literally all of them. Meyer, who led Utah to national prominence and won two National Championships with Florida, would be the ideal choice for the Nittany Lions.

Not only has Meyer proven to be a big-time winner everywhere he has gone, but he has done it honorably every step of the way, Meyer stepped down after last season to spend more time with his family and tend to some health concerns, but nobody was completely sold that he was permanently retired from coaching.

In addition to his health problems, it seemed like Meyer had done everything he could possibly do at Florida, so there was little incentive for him to stick around. While he is already considered a legendary coach in many ways, he could become one of the greatest of all time if he is able to turn around Penn State and lead them back to the promised land. That may not appeal to Meyer, but it would be an absolutely perfect hire for Penn State.