NCAA Football

Penn State Coach Bill O’Brien Isn’t Going Anywhere, But It Would Also Be Really Expensive For Him To Quit

Penn State football just got pretty much nuked by the NCAA. While there will be – and already is – much debate going forward as to whether or not the punishment is appropriate, it’s undeniably harsh. The $60 million fine. The bowl ban. The scholarship reductions. The “letting players transfer without sitting out a year” stipulation. Such punishments are enough to make coach Bill O’Brien’s job extremely tough going forward – so tough that plenty are wondering why he’d possibly stay on board.

But stay on board O’Brien will. Shortly after the NCAA’s sanctions were announced, O’Brien released this statement:

“Today we receive a very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as Head Coach of the Nittany Lions football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply, but help guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance and operational excellence. I knew when I accepted the position that there would be tough times ahead. But I am committed for the long term to Penn State and our student athletes.

I was then and I remain convinced that our student athletes are the best in the country. I could not be more proud to lead this team and these courageous and humble young men into the upcoming 2012 season. Together we are committed to building a better athletic program and university.”

Impressive that even in such a tough situation, O’Brien will be there to see it through. Of course, like he said, he took the job knowing it wouldn’t be easy. Maybe not this not-easy, but not easy. He didn’t walk in blind – to some extent, he knew what he was in for, and we can’t imagine he didn’t at least consider the possibility of further action from the NCAA before heading to State College. So good on him for sticking it out.

Cynics, however, might also note this: the fact that O’Brien’s contract doesn’t allow him to leave without penalty in the event of, say, extraordinarily harsh sanctions being levied on his program by the NCAA.

[O'Brien's] contract states that if he wants to terminate employment for any reason before his five-year contract is over, he has to pay back his base salary at the time multiplied by the number of years left.

O’Brien’s current base salary is $950,000 per year, so that’s well into seven figures were he to walk away. (His five-year contract is, of course, in its first year.) Would you quit in that situation, either? Whether the decision was motivated more by finances or a sense of commitment, though, it doesn’t appear O’Brien will be gone from Penn State by his own doing anytime soon. And now that we know what he’s up against, all we can say is: good luck.

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