A holdover from the Joe Paterno era along with a respected offensive assistant are no longer a part of Bill O’Brien‘s coaching staff at Penn State, multiple media outlets reported.
According to FightOnState.com and CoachingSearch.com, linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden and quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher (pictured) have been let go and will not return to the Nittany Lions in 2014. The former site reported that the two assistants were informed at some point prior to Sunday afternoon that they would not be returning next season.
What exactly was behind the “parting of ways” is unclear. The school has yet to announce any personnel changes on O’Brien’s staff, although that could come as early as today.
Vanderlinden had been an assistant at Penn State since 2001 and, along with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, was one of two holdovers from the previous regime.
Fisher just completed his second season in Happy Valley, joining O’Brien as one of the first assistants on his Nittany Lions’ staff. While O’Brien (rightly) gets a majority of the credit, Fisher played a significant role in both turning Matt McGloin into a viable NFL prospect and aiding in the development of five-star recruit Christian Hackenberg, one of the top true-freshman quarterbacks in the country.
(Photo credit: Penn State athletics)