STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- New Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien still is working at his old job, too -- as offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots. He's traveling between Foxborough, Mass., and Happy Valley juggling duties.
O'Brien arrived back in State College on Monday, and he plans to join his players for a viewing for the late Penn State coach Joe Paterno on Tuesday before returning to New England on Wednesday night.
The Penn State conference table is covered with some of O'Brien's tapes and binders he needs to get ready for the Super Bowl against the New York Giants in two weeks. When in New England, he comes into the office around 4:30 a.m. to get Penn State duties done for two hours. Then it's all Patriots until after dinner, when he transitions back to Penn State.
O'Brien feels the Penn State recruiting pitch will be helped by his last few days as the coordinator for the high-powered Patriots offense.
"You're on TV and a lot of people are watching the game. You're coaching the offense of New England," he said. "I would think that's going to help."
O'Brien knows some Penn State fans might be concerned that he won't be starting full time in Happy Valley until after the Super Bowl. But he said he made his commitment to New England known to Penn State early in the school's search process to replace Paterno.
"There's no way I could stand in front of the team and tell them, 'You have to be loyal, you have to be committed,' and then say, 'OK see you later New England, I'm going to Penn State,' " O'Brien said.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press