Another week has gone by and that can only mean its time for another mailbag — a chance to answer your questions about Penn State sports. This week was full of Penn State football news with a small dose of Ohio State getting in on the action. What’s up with Haslett? The hiring of Jim Haslett to take over some nonspecific tasks as a consultant seems to have made some fans a bit anxious. There is some underlying concern that his up and down tenure in the NFL makes him poorly suited for the job, or in some cases the assumption he is simply an assistant coach in waiting. While any of those things could very well turn out to be true, because nothing is impossible, it isn’t very likely. What I think helps understand the hire is James Franklin’s thirst for information. Penn State has hired a handful of firms since Franklin took the job. One to help prepare players (freshman-seniors) for the NFL process. Another firm to help analyze Penn State’s film and stats. Franklin is obviously eager to bring in ideas from the outside world anytime he can. Haslett is the best of both worlds in this case. He is a coach with extensive experience and a coach from outside of the program who can bring different views to Penn State. If nothing else he’s a recruiting tool with Pittsburgh roots to boot. The unknown is how Haslett’s voice will come into the equation during the season. That’s not to suggest there will be issues, but it’s hard to say if he is going to offer his opinions proactively or largely as a sounding board. How that dynamic works between Haslett, Franklin and the rest of the staff will probably decide how well this all works out. It’s not a a secret that Haslett’s career has seen its ups an downs, but sometimes a change of scenery will do wonders. But at face value the investment makes sense. The payoff is still to be determined…
Continue Reading: Penn State Football: Thursday Mailbag: Haslett Hire, Breakout Player And Newcomers
