It appears that, for the second consecutive December/January, Penn State is going to have to sweat out rumors of its head coach heading to the professional ranks.
Citing pro and college source, CBS Sports’ Jason La Confora reported Sunday morning that Nittany Lions head coach Bill O’Brien “is ready to return to professional football.” More to the point, La Confora reports, O’Brien -- and/or his agent -- has already been approached by the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings.
La Confora stated that O’Brien could also be in play with the Washington Redskins if Mike Shanahan and the organization decide to part ways at season’s end.
O’Brien’s contract was amended in late June to include a raise in the neighborhood of $1 million. The buyout in his contract is made up of only his base salary multiplied by the years left on his contract, a figure that would total roughly $5 million. Such a sum would be far from prohibitive for an NFL organization, if paying the buyout would actually come into play because of NCAA sanctions.
Late last year, O’Brien interviewed for openings with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles before opting to remain in Happy Valley.