PARK RIDGE, Ill. —
Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien on Tuesday was named the Big Ten’s coach of the year, earning accolades from fellow coaches and the sportswriters reporting on the conference.
O’Brien, then the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator, was hired earlier this year to replace Hall of Fame head coach Joe Paterno, who was fired last year in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against now imprisoned assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
O’Brien led the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record, going 6-2 in conference play. His eight wins are the most by a first-year Penn State coach. Six Penn State players obtained first-team All-Big Ten status under his coaching.
“This is a fantastic honor; it’s very humbling,” O’Brien said in a statement. “Any time you are named coach of the year, it has a lot to do with two groups of people – it’s your coaching staff and obviously your players.”
In addition to coach of the year honors, the Big Ten on Tuesday named Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller offensive player of the year and his Buckeye teammate, John Simon, defensive player of the year.
Miller, who averaged 275 yards in total offense per game, rushed for 1,271 yards this season, ranking him second in that category in conference record books.
Penn State defensive end Deion Barnes was named the conference’s freshman player of the year. A redshirt freshman, Barnes led the Nittany Lions with six sacks. He was tied for fourth in the conference with three forced fumbles.
“It feels good,” Barnes said of the honor. “But I am looking forward to next season. I need to play better than I did this year.”
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Penn State’s O’Brien honored by Big Ten
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