Reports: Penn State aides joining O'Brien in Houston
Nittany Lions down to only three coaches on football staff in the wake of Bill O'Brien's departure.
STATE COLLEGE - Whoever is hired as Penn State's next football coach should plan on bringing most of a coaching staff with him.
Five Penn State coaches who were assistants under Bill O'Brien were no longer listed on the team's official roster as of yesterday afternoon, including defensive coordinator John Butler, who will leave the program to coach the secondary under O'Brien with the Houston Texans, Fight On State reported. Safeties coach Anthony Midget, wide receivers coach Stan Hixon, running backs coach Charles London and strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald also left the program.
That leaves only interim coach and defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, tight-ends coach John Strollo and offensive-line coach Mac McWhorter.
Butler, whom O'Brien promoted to lead the defense before the 2013 season, is not the only one O'Brien is bringing aboard in the Lone Star State. Fitzgerald (like Butler, a La Salle High graduate) revolutionized Penn State's weight room in his 2 years as the strength and conditioning coordinator, but Fight On State, citing sources close to Fitzgerald, reported he would be part of O'Brien's new staff.
Hixon will be going to Houston, according to Pennlive.com, while Midget, who was brought in last season, also will be on O'Brien's new staff, multiple outlets reported. It's unclear what the future holds for London, who said last week he could follow O'Brien, but had no firm plans.
Linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden and quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher parted ways with Penn State in December.
Back in Happy Valley, Johnson is in charge for the short term with a depleted staff, as athletic director Dave Joyner leads a six-person search committee tasked with finding O'Brien's replacement. Penn State reportedly met with its top candidates, Vanderbilt's James Franklin and recently fired Tennessee Titans head coach and former Penn State offensive lineman Mike Munchak, on Sunday. Miami coach Al Golden (a former Penn State player and assistant) reaffirmed his commitment to his current school in a statement released Sunday.
Johnson said he will interview for the job, and Joyner noted a decision on a new coach should take a matter of "days rather than weeks."