Penn State Scandal: Who's the Top Coach Out There?

We all know the story about Penn State that has been beaten over our heads the last 24 hours or so. The one that involves former defensive coordinator allegedly molesting little kids and the one that has resulted in the firing of head coach Joe Paterno.  

The Nittany Lions have since decided to go with defensive coordinator Tom Bradly for the rest of the season but will need to decide on a coach for next season.

Here are some of the options and the best possible option the University would have to choose from.

Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen is only in his third season as head coach at Mississippi State. Despite his 19-15 record, you can't deny his past. Mullen is an excellent recruiter and knows how to work with quarterbacks as he's tutored several big names including Tim Tebow. 

That subpar record that Mullen has in two-and-a-half seasons doesn't hold much weight considering he's coaching in the toughest division in college football (SEC West).

Chris Peterson

What better way to replace a legend like Paterno than to bring in Chris Petersen who has won 69 games in five-and-a-half seasons. He's led Boise State to five straight bowl games and won three of them, including two BCS Bowls.

He has helped put Boise State on the map and has had this program in the Top 10 of the Polls for four seasons in a row. The question is would he be willing to leave Boise State for a school that will be under fire for the next several years?

Al Golden

Al Golden played tight end for three seasons at Penn State and was a captain his senior year. He's never really had a season that "wowed" anybody as a coach but has done a fabulous job for what he's had to work with.

Golden should thrive with the talent on this Penn State roster.

Although he just accepted the job at Miami, with the trouble that the University is in, he may bolt. He has said he isn't going anywhere but no coach has ever said such things before, right?

Although I'm pretty sure Golden will wait to see any punishments the school may face because it wouldn't make much sense to leave one troubled school or another. 

Urban Meyer

Meyer has been a winner everywhere he has gone, from Bowling Green State to Florida. He's won 81 percent of his games and helped put the Utah football program on the map.

He is one of the top recruiters in the country and has a proven track record that every Penn State fan would be comfortable with.

He would also be one of the few candidates that could handle the backlash that this scandal is going to bring.

Dabo Swinney

He is a solid recruiter, and it's amazing what he has done this year with this young Clemson team, leading them to a Top 10 spot in the BCS Rankings.

He is in a good position at Clemson, but jobs like Penn State don't open up everyday. He's one of the hottest young coaches in America and will have several job offers thrown at him much like Al Golden when he was still at Temple.

I'm sure Swinney will receive a phone call from the Nittany Lions but once again that black cloud hanging over the University may be a turn off.

Pat Fitzgerald

Ever since Fitzgerald took over Northwestern they have become a competitive football team as he has taken them to three straight bowl games. Much like Swinney, Fitzgerald is one of the top young coaches in the country and was considered for the Michigan job last season.

Fitzgerald is very close to the University and Paterno and would at least have to consider the offer if it presented itself.

Best Overall Option

Although there are a lot of possible candidates for the job, out of all of them I believe that Urban Meyer is the best fit. He has the biggest name of out everyone and would help save recruits that were considering leaving the University.

He also has a proven track record and has won everywhere he has coached at. Very few coaches can say the same.

The main reason I like Meyer in this spot is his ability to handle controversy. Although he has never faced a scandal of this magnitude, he has had to deal with distractions and the constant questions about the Florida Gators arrest record. He was able to keep his team focused on the task at hand and continued to be successful.

Would he be able to do the same at Penn State, who knows? But I like his chances better than anybody else.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]

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