National Football League

Report: O'Brien grew weary of 'Paterno people' at Penn State

Published Jan. 1, 2014 5:28 p.m. ET

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It shouldn't come as a surprise that former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien had become frustrated at his job. O'™Brien, who was hired Tuesday by the Houston Texans as their new head coach, signed on to coach Penn State in 2012 after the football team was rocked by a child sex abuse scandal.

On top of dealing with NCAA sanctions resulting from the scandal, O'€™Brien walked onto a scene that had been dominated by storied former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. O'Brien apparently grew tired of navigating the world of '€œPaterno people'€ and college football politics by the time the Texans came calling. He said in early December that the Nittany Lions would probably be "€œlooking for a new coach"€ in about a month, according to David Jones of pennlive.com.

"€œYou can print this: You can print that I don'€™t really give a (expletive) what the 'Paterno people'€™ think about what I do with this program,"€ O'€™Brien said. "I'€™ve done everything I can to show respect to coach Paterno. Everything in my power. So I could really care less about what the Paterno faction of people, or whatever you call them, think about what I do with the program. I'€™m tired of it.

"€œFor any '€˜Paterno person'€™ to have any objection to what I'€™m doing, it makes me wanna put my fist through this windshield right now."€

O'Brien did what he could with what he had in Happy Valley. In two seasons at Penn State, O'€™Brien led the Nittany Lions to a 15-9 record, and he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and was awarded the Paul "€œBear"€ Bryant College Coach of the Year award in 2012. But the situation seems to have gotten the best of him.

"€I'€™m trying to field the most competitive football team I can with near-death penalty (expletive) sanctions,"€ he said. "€œEvery time I say something like that and somebody prints it, it's skewed as an excuse. And I'€™m not an excuse-maker. I'€™m trying to do the best I can for the kids in that program. That'€™s all I care about is the kids in that program."€

In Houston, O'Brien takes over a Texans team that finished the 2013 season with a 2-14 record and holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

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