First of all, don’t shoot the messenger over the obvious. Second of all, refer to the first sentence.
For the past several years, Chris Petersen has been the object of much speculation and has reportedly turned down offers from a handful of “bigger” football programs to remain at Boise State. Petersen was reportedly offered the UCLA job earlier this month, but turned down $4 million a year because of “lifestyle reasons”. The word on the current Texas A&M search is that the Aggies are looking for a “wow” candidate and may be making a late push to land Petersen.
The fact that Petersen has turned away every Brink’s truck that’s backed up to his door has done little to slow the speculation over the years. Case in point: according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, and citing a source familiar with the school’s search committee, Penn State has Petersen high on their coaching wish list.
The reasons for the Nittany Lions’ interest is twofold. One, obviously, is Petersen’s success on the football field, with a 72-6 record with the Broncos that speaks for itself. Secondly is the success Petersen’s players have had in the classroom; the Inquirer writes that "[b]ased on the number of players who graduated within six years, Penn State ranked No. 1 with a score of 113 in New America’s Academic Bowl formula. Petersen’s Boise State was next at 107.”
Based on that criteria, Petersen could very well be a target of the Nittany Lions as they continue to search for Joe Paterno‘s replacement.
“He’s the kind of guy who interests them,” a source told the paper. “I don’t know if they’ve talked with him yet, but I’d be shocked if they didn’t look at him thoroughly.”
Of course, interest on PSU’s part is one thing; having Petersen reciprocate that interest is another matter entirely. Petersen has already turned down jobs such as Stanford -- at $3 million per -- and UCLA -- $4 million per -- out on the West Coast, a region he’s called home for most of his life. Would he really uproot his young family to move to the other side of the country, to an area where he’s spent just one year in his 25-year coaching career -- Pittsburgh, 1992 -- and for a program that, if you haven’t heard, is in the midst of a scandal of biblical proportions?
Common sense would seem to dictate that Penn State should at least inquire about Petersen’s interest in the opening. Asking never really hurt anyone in this kind of situation. The school just shouldn’t be surprised, however, when they get the same answer everybody else has received since he took over at BSU in 2006.
Thanks, but no thanks.