O’Brien is joined men’s basketball coach Pat Chambers and other Nittany Lion officials.

New Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien spoke with Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia about his tour, his offense and his experience as a man recruiting on behalf of a badly scarred program.

On if the 18-city bus tour is helping the recruiting process:

“No question. We’re going to recruit a six- or seven-hour driving distance from State College, and No. 1 is we’re going to try to do the best we can to take care of Pennsylvania. And so it does help in recruiting to get out there and meet people and let people hear our vision for Penn State football.”

On what the offense will look like next season:

“We’re a multiple offense. We’re a game plan offense, so you’re gonna see a lot of different things hopefully, and it depends on how well we execute those things in training camp and what we bring into the fall. But you’ll see a 2-back, you’ll see 1-back, you’ll see empty, you’ll see a no-huddle, you’ll see fast-paced, slow pace. Hopefully you’ll see a lot of different things and if we come into training camp and we’re not able to do all those things then you won’t see as many of them. So we’ve got a ways to go but we’re on the right track and we need to have a great summer and a great training camp.”

On what he’s found during the recruiting process:

“I’ve found people very receptive to Penn State and what the mission of Penn State is. One of the things that I’ve said from Day 1 is when you get a prospect and his family on campus, it really sells itself — between our great student body, the beautiful setting of the campus, the university itself and obviously our football facilities and our staff, we have a lot to sell at Penn State. And once you get ‘em on campus they see that for themselves.”

Listen to Bill O’Brien on 97.5 The Fanatic here

The former Patriots offensive coordinator feels the transition to Penn State wasn’t too bumpy, and even though he is in no way affiliated with the previous Penn State coaching regime, he is vowing to make the alumni proud. This is a tall task, but O’Brien had been craving for a chance to be a head coach. He’s got his shot now in one of the toughest transitions the college football world has ever seen.

Bill O’Brien joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh with The Morning Show to discuss his emotions coming off the New England Patriots Super Bowl loss, being the first head coach of Penn State in the post Joe Paterno climate, the biggest adjustment he will be making in the college football world, getting a feel for the Penn State way, and his expectations for next season.

Talk us through your emotions of being hired then coaching in the Super Bowl and now being ready to be Penn State’s head coach:

“Really it was a transition that was a lot about people on both ends. We had a great staff in New England that was great there and we had a group of 8 men here and a support staff that really did a great job of finishing up the recruiting class and starting on the next recruiting class. So really it was more about the people than anything else. It wasn’t too bad at all.”

Was it twice as hard to keep up with Penn State recruiting given that you were still a coach for New England during a Super Bowl run and dealing with the post Joe Paterno world of this team?

“Again I was able to hire two guys off the previous staff: Ron Vanderlinden and Larry Johnson. Those guys did a great job of helping the new coaches transition over to this recruiting class. We really did a good job of holding onto the guys that were committed to us. A lot of the guys that went to other places they had decided to move on before I was hired, so we did a good job of hanging onto the guys that were committed and we added a couple of other guys. We’re really proud and happy with the recruiting class that we put in and can’t wait to start coaching them.”

What’s the biggest adjustment you are making from the NFL to college football?

“Honestly the big adjustment is the hash marks on the field. In the NFL the ball is basically in the middle of the field all the time. That is one of the bigger adjustments I’ve had to make. As far as players? Professional players? They are being paid and you’ve got to coach them and point them in the right direction and in a lot of ways college players just want to be coached too. These guys here all they want to do is get better and be coached, so as far as coaching? It’s kind of like riding a bike. Myself? We just jump on and we’ve hit the ground running.”

Are you starting to get a sense for what Penn State football is all about?

“I think anytime any time there is a transition from some coach like Coach Paterno, who had been the head football coach for 46 years it’s hard for anyone who gets the job from the outside to understand because there’s been a head coach in place here for 46 years. The thing to me is you quickly understand what a special  place this is. The setting, the student body, the stadium, the kids on our team and how important football is to the fans here. The alumni. There’s 600,000 alumni here. It’s one of the largest alumni groups in the country. I have a pretty good understanding. I am learning every day and again we are working very hard. All of my goals are to make alumni and our letterman very proud of the football team we put on the field in the fall.”

What are your expectations for this season?

“We are just taking it day-by-day right now. I feel really good about the kids on this team and their work ethic. We’re in a process of evaluating a roster as we go through winter workouts and I feel good. We got a good core group of kids on both sides of the ball and special teams and we’ll show up for every game.”

Listen to Bill O’Brien on 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh here

Bradley, who took over in the interim when Paterno was relieved of his duties, speaks fondly of the Penn State coach in the following interview, recalling recruiting road trips and the charitable acts that people rarely noticed. In time, I believe Paterno will be remembered most for those such things and not the end of his career.

Tom Bradley joined 970 ESPN in Pittsburgh with Joe Bendel to discuss his feelings on the passing of Paterno, what made people gravitate toward him, his intelligence, his memories of recruiting on the road with Paterno, his accomplishments, how hard the firing was on Paterno and the coach’s reputation going forward.

What were your thoughts and emotions when you heard the news?:

“I had a chance Saturday night to reflect because I thought I’d gotten word from some people who knew what was going on that things were going bad. Sunday I got the news and you’re never ready for that news. … He meant so much to so many people, not only the players and the coaches, but the people that got to know him from the events he was involved with, the charitable events, the fundraising they did for the university.”

Did you got some personal time with him?:

“No, Saturday, you started to get calls and started to get texts from people that were in the inner circle. … I knew at that time that the family had really gathered around coach. That’s a private time for the family.”

What is it that made you and many others to gravitate toward him?:

“I think the thing that he could do is make you believe in yourself that you were actually better than what you were. He made all of us understand that we really had a chance to be better. He wanted us to be better. He was always speaking about being the best you could be.”

What about that side of him where he seemed to have a vast knowledge of just about everything?:

“One of the things he did, he never forgot anything, especially when you screwed up. … The one thing he could do, he knew how to motivate players. Everybody’s motivated a little bit differently. He knew the one’s you could kick in the rear end. … He could really evaluate talent just from watching and being around it. He knew how to put a team together.”

On his memories recruiting with Paterno:

“He recruited Pittsburgh and very few people know that. When he first became an assistant coach, this was his area. I used to really enjoy it. A lot of people don’t like going out with the boss … but I really enjoyed it because the stories he’d tell me. We’d argue all the time about which was the fastest way. … He’d tell you all about this player, that player and I’d give him the business. … We had some great moments in the car together just talking. It never failed, there’s always something he said about you and you just wonder, ‘How did he figure that out?’ But he did, he just had a way of doing it. He was a coach, a mentor, a teacher, a friend.”

What was it like when he would go into a school or a living room out recruiting?:

“When you went to a school, Coach would make you get out of the car and make sure they were in class. … He always tried to figure out the best way we could get into the building and do what we had to do without disrupting because he felt that was disrespectful to the teachers. … It was always your job to get him out of there, figure out some excuse and look like the bad guy. … I think the thing that always amazed me was he never forgot where people lived or what their parents names were. He’d even remember the dog’s name sometimes.”

Can you speak to his mantra of succeeding with honor?:

“Coach would never let you know that he had all the answers. What he would do is he had a unique way of letting you know that there were ways you could become better. … He always expected you to go to class and do the right things and he always tried to show you the way things should be done and if you got out of whack, Coach knew how to pull back in pretty quickly. A lot of people might not know if you wanted to talk to Joe personally, it wasn’t always at his office, it was always at his kitchen table at his house.”

Was there any accomplishment or moment he relished more than any other?:

“No, I don’t think he gloated over anything, any one thing. I did get out of him one time who he thought the best player he ever coached was. He did tell me, but I’m not letting that out.”

How tough was the firing on him?:

“When I did talk to Coach after this went down, he was kind of mad at me. And I knew he would be. … I knew he was going to yell at me because I wasn’t taking care of the team and wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do and ‘You know what you’re supposed to do, just do it.’ That’s the way he was. If you weren’t focused on what you were supposed to be doing, that bothered him, like, ‘Why are you worried about me?’ I know he’s up in heaven looking down saying, ‘Why are they making this fuss? Don’t they have better things to do?’ That’s just the way he always was.”

On Paterno’s reputation now and going forward:

“I’m not going to get into all that. I know there were some people that didn’t like Coach Paterno, but I’ve often said I’d take all of his enemies if I could take all of his friends, too. I don’t know what’s going to transpire with all these different things, I just know that he was a great man even if he didn’t coach football. … There’s so many things he did that nobody will ever know about, charitable, kindness acts that just will never come up because that’s the way he wanted it. … He was one of the guys that you were blessed to be around.”

Listen to Tom Bradley on ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh here

Bowden joined 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia with Mike Missanelli to talk about the passing of Joe Paterno, his long race with Paterno for the most wins ever, the legacy of Paterno as both a coach and a man, and to clarify his previous comments about Paterno and how he initially handled the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.

On the passing of Joe Paterno:

“My wife told me he had passed away. I was saddened to hear that.  When all of this stuff came up – all of it at one time – I was wondering how in the world he can handle it.  It seems like everything hit him at one time.  I sure hate it.  I mean a guy that had the most illustrious career of any college coach that I know of – there have been some great ones – but none of them had a career like he had.  I tried to keep up with him.  I couldn’t keep up with him.  But, gosh, I just can’t believe he’s gone now.”

On his race with Paterno for the most wins ever:

“I wanted one more year. I was trying to keep up with Joe a little bit. We never discussed the race. To me I was in a race. Joe won more games than Bear Bryant. I came along and won more games than Joe. Joe came along and won more games than me. I was competitive with it. Joe never mentioned it. I don’t even think he cared. Now I know he must have, but he would never say anything.”

On Paterno as a coach and man:

“He had the image of the perfect coach. Joe was one of those guys if there were 50 coaches in a room, and they’re debating something – some of them feel this way, some feel that way, some feel this way – Joe could end that by making a statement because everyone believed in what Joe said. Usually when he spoke that was the end of the question. That’s the impact he had on other coaches. Even on me. Here I am 62 years old (speaking about 20 years ago) and I’m looking up to him. That’s the way I felt about him.”

On Paterno’s legacy:

“Of course Joe not only coached football, he tried to make a man out of you. And tried to teach you values. I think that’s the thing they’ll remember. Now let’s take people that do not know him. All they know is what they’ve heard on the television or on the radio or in the newspapers, yes, they will take the bad part and remember him by that. But that’s not the majority.”

On his previous comments regarding Paterno and how he handled the Sandusky situation:

“Well I can take away from it. I was not quoted correctly on that. I wouldn’t have made a statement like that, as much as I knew Joe. I was making a speech up in South Georgia. Somebody had asked me what did I think about Joe? And I said I feel kind of like what Joe said when Joe said “I wish I would have done more.” So they put in the paper that Bobby said Joe should have done more. Well I wrote Joe a letter and told him that’s not what I said.”

Listen here to Bowden with Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia

Al Golden played three years at Penn State (1989-91) under Joe Paterno. Golden was a two-year starter at tight end for Penn State. Golden, the head football coach at the University of Miami, reacts to the rise and fall of a college football legend, a man who he had tremendous respect for.

Al Golden joined WDAE in Tampa with Dan Sileo to discuss his emotions when he found out that Joe Paterno had passed away, all the negative press surrounding Joe Paterno involving the Jerry Sandusky allegations, Joe Paterno not being able to handle the Jerry Sandusky allegations and Penn State contacting him regarding their head coaching position.

How tough is the passing of Joe Paterno?

“Well all I can say to you is I couldn’t even speak about it yesterday. I started getting requests about 10 p.m. on Friday night. I guess it was Saturday night excuse me. They continued all day yesterday. I couldn’t respond. I could not respond. I could not go on-air as I am now. I was asked to go on television shows. I just couldn’t do it. I was basically up all night. It was one of those deals where the guy has meant so much to all of us and what a tragedy the way it ended. In the end I believe he died of grief. I believe he died of a broken heart for how it ended.”

It had to kill you with all the things said about Joe Paterno involving the Jerry Sandusky allegations?

“Well it did because for a half century we would have all loved to live the life that he lived and the impact he had on not just football players, but the Penn State community, the common wealth of Pennsylvania, the game of football, the NCAA. He was a beacon for such a long time in how to do things right and how to teach core values through football and how to win without compromising your values in the community and the class room. Again, in the end that is always going to be a part of the legacy not how it ended, but it is not going to tarnish his spirit and what lives in each and every one of us that are now fathers, husbands, educators, mentors, leaders and even coaches.”

I’m not sure if Joe Paterno was made to handle something as big as the Jerry Sandusky allegations?

“Yeah I just think all of us associated with Coach Paterno in the program and the university, all we are asking for is just due process here in terms of what really transpired. I think in his passing we are going to find good again in terms of what really transpired and we are going to learn from it and all of us. I don’t think there is an administrator out there and I’m talking every high school and every college I don’t think there is an administrator or a coach, a guidance counselor, that hasn’t learned from this in terms of what a widespread problem this actually is and how to go about these things. Again I can’t even imagine what he went through the last couple of weeks. I saw him on December 29th and I thought he looked strong and my wife and I and my kids went over to his house and saw him and saw Sue Paterno. I just expressed to him that his legacy lives in us and we are not going to let him down.”

Did Penn State ever contact you to take the head coaching job there?

“Again this is not the time Dan [Sileo] for me. I came on to talk about Coach Paterno and his legacy. Penn State has a new head coach and is going in a different direction than Coach Paterno and his staff. I’m excited about what we are doing down here at your university, at the University of Miami with our recruiting and obviously what we are building. Again I think this is a day for Coach Paterno and to share stories about how he has impacted all of our lives and again our hearts go out to the families of the victims. This phone call is not about that. I don’t know what went down with that, but there’s going to be a day in court on that and due process with that, but certainly we want to make sure we also honor coach for what he has done for us over the last half century.”

Listen to Al Golden on 620 WDAE in Tampa here

O’Brien was named the head coach of the Nittany Lions a week and a half ago and he will have quite a task in front of him. Many other candidates wanted to avoid the program. Not just because of the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the University but because it is incredibly difficult to replace a coaching legend like Joe Paterno.

Whether or not Bill O’Brien can fill those shoes left behind by JoePa remains to be seen, but O’Brien has done a heck of a job in New England and will try to reverse the trend of Bill Belichick assistants leaving New England and flaming out.

Bill O’Brien joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta on Mayhem in the AM to talk about how exciting it is for him to not only be the head coach at Penn State but also being the New England offensive coordinator, when he learned that he was a legitimate candidate at Penn State, how hard it was to go from the pros to college, how concerned he was to take over at Penn State given the state of the program, and whether or not he has spoken to Joe Paterno.

How exciting it is to be Penn State’s head coach and New England’s offensive coordinator:

“There’s no question. It’s an exciting time. Up here in New England and then the people of Penn State to be able to have somebody representing them in the AFC Championship game is really an exciting time.”

When he learned that he was a legitimate candidate at Penn State:

“I was contacted probably about three or four weeks ago and at that point we were in the middle of the season and it was something I didn’t pursue every day but I did have a couple of conversations with the powers that be at Penn State and it ended up where it is today.”

How tough the decision to leave the pros was:

“It was hard because I love pro football and my experience here in New England has been second to none. I’ve learned so much here from Bill and from coaching these players here. I’ve been very, very fortunate to be around some of the best players at their position over the last five years. One of the things that I missed about college was bringing a guy in as a 17-year-old freshman and watching him grow and graduate after four or five years and go on and be a real contributor to society, whether it was pro football or whatever the occupation was. I missed those relationships and I think one of the reasons I decided to do this was for that reason.”

Whether or not it was tough to take over the job at Penn State given the state of the program:

“When I was interviewed for the job there were a lot of tough questions on both sides. At the end of the day I felt very comfortable about the answers I got and I think they felt very comfortable about the answers they got. It isn’t the greatest situation in the world but I wasn’t there. I’m here now with a great staff and we’re just moving forward and we’re gonna work really hard to continue the traditions that have gone on over the years there. Do the best we can to field a great team and a team that has great character.”

If he has spoken to Joe Paterno recently:

“I spoke to him on the phone last week and had a really nice conversation with him. Like I said when I got the job I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Paterno and he and I share the same alma mater so I’ve followed Coach Paterno since I was a kid. You can’t say enough about all the things he did at Penn State and he did it the right way. He won a lot of games and he graduated a lot of guys so it’s an incredibly tough act to follow but I’m gonna try and do the best – I have a hard enough time being Bill O’Brien. I’m not gonna try to be Joe Paterno. We’re gonna do the best we can everyday to live up to the standards that he set.”

How tough it will be for the University to rebound from the sexual abuse scandal:

“You can’t ignore all the great things football-wise and academic-wise that have gone on before us but at the same time it’s a new era of Penn State football and we have to do a really good job of finding the balance of moving forward and paying respect to the things that have gone on before us. So things like the uniforms, where the students sit in the stadium, where the band sits, I’m not touching that. That’s what makes Penn State. We’ll just add a few traditions of our own as we move forward here and hopefully those will be accepted and we will field a very, very good football team that plays tough, smart football and graduates its guys.”

Listen to Bill O’Brien on 790 the Zone in Atlanta here

As soon as the Patriots’ season is over, it’ll be up to O’Brien and Joyner to pick up the pieces of a shattered Nittany Lions program. Joyner says he picked O’Brien because he has a Penn State heart and can win national championships.

Dave Joyner joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh with Vinnie and Cook to discuss why he picked Bill O’Brien to be the new head coach of the Penn State football program once the Patriots season is over with, the negative reactions with the choice initially, why he and the rest of the hiring committee opted to not name longtime assistant Tom Bradley as the full time head coach following his interim stint at the helm of the program, why a program like Penn State can continue to legitimately emphasize academics while also competing on the football field with the country’s best teams, if he believes that Penn State football perhaps became too big, O’Brien finishing out his duties with the Patriots before joining the program, and convincing folks it’s okay and still an incredible opportunity to attend Penn State in the wake of the disturbing Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.

What went into the coaching search and what led you to pick Bill O’Brien?:

“We took a long time and that was on purpose because we were looking for somebody that I said had a Penn State heart, whether that was from within our coaching staff or [not]. We conducted the search, mirrored after how Penn State does academic searches, if you were looking for the dean or the chairman of a department. The search was very, very similar to that. … What we were looking for was somebody that appreciated the foundation from which Penn State football has come. … After that, somebody that could win us national championships. We felt that we had the best mix of those things with Bill O’Brien.”

Were you surprised at some of the negative reactions?:

“The more vocal of the football alumni were, in my opinion, were the much smaller. I got tremendous support and tremendous outreach from the football lettermen’s club and football alumni. … I also got, I think, a gut reaction from a number of people when it was surmised that Bill O’Brien was going to be the next coach. … Prior to having the press conference on Saturday, there certainly was some objection to not hiring an internal coach. … Virtually immediately after Bill gave that first press conference, the negativity has stopped about Bill O’Brien.”

How tough was it to not hire Tom Bradley?:

“I’ve know Tom Bradley for a long time. Two of my sons played here, one of them played directly for Tom. … It’s very difficult. In the end, we just made a decision that we felt was the best for Penn State going forward. It should not be construed in any way as a slam on Tom Bradley or anyone else for that matter, that wasn’t named head coach. I have a lot of respect for Tom. We had a good talk when it was apparent that this hire was going to happen.”

Can you have great academics and have a great football program at the same time?:

“We can have great academics and have a great football program. Our present football team is a great testament to that. I guess probably two weeks ago, prior to the bowl games, we were ranked No. 1 in the BCS top 25 for academics, for graduation rates. … I think that makes a statement that not only can you have it, we already have been doing it and we’re going to continue.”

Are people perhaps correct in thinking Penn State football became too big?:

“It’s difficult for me to speak about what may have been going on. … However, going forward, we’re going to have the proper balance. We have some great people here. We had great people then. … We were success with honor before and we’re going to continue to be that way.”

On O’Brien continuing to coach with New England instead of taking over at Penn State right away:

“I think there’s a plus and minus. I can imagine that shaking hands with a recruit with a Super Bowl ring on your hand is certainly not going to be a negative issue if the Patriots win. On the other end of it, I’m a big believer in commitment. He had committed to the Patriots; he has an obligation to them. I fully support that. That’s one of the reasons why I like him. I’m not a fan of people leaving in the middle. I never personally asked him to consider that. … He’s doing two 80-hour-a-week jobs. … His organizational skills are so astute. That’s one of the things that impressed us.”

What do you say to those kids and parents that are leery of attending Penn State?:

“I’ve said this from the beginning, even my first day on the job: I had two sons play here and I wouldn’t hesitate for one second for both of them to come back and play again and sign up tomorrow. My wife agrees with that; my whole family agrees with that.”

Listen to Dave Joyner on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh here

That won’t be happening to the Harbaughs. The plan is for Jack and Jackie to join the brothers on the field before the game for a photo opportunity, but then they’ll be headed out to watch from somewhere else. They won’t be alone, as what once appeared prior to the season to be a Ravens rout has turned into one of the marquee games of the regular season.

Jack Harbaugh joined 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore with The Norris and Davis Show to discuss the plans for the game, getting out of the limelight, receiving game film from both teams every Tuesday, if his sons ever take his advice after breaking it down, what has made the 49ers so good this year and the scandal at Penn State.

Is it true you’re going to the stadium for pregame but you’re not staying for the game?:

“What our plan is we’re going to get there and we’d like to get a picture with Jackie and I and John and Jim. Then we want to get somewhere where the two of us can watch the game and get out of the way and allow them to compete, allow these to teams to compete and play.”

So you’re trying to get out of the limelight?:

“I remember a few years ago I watched when the Mannings opened the season one year. I’m sure it was all planned. Peyton and Eli opened and I remembered seeing the Mannings up in a press box and it seemed like the camera spent as much time on them as they did the two boys. I perceive the anguish that they felt in watching the ballgame. That’s probably misplaced, but that’s what I saw, and we made up our mind that this day is about the 49ers and about the Ravens.”

Do you really receive game tape from both teams on every Tuesday?:

“Yeah, I do. They send me the DVD. In the old days we used to use … 16mm film. But we’ve moved away from that. They send them every Tuesday at 10 o’clock. A FedEx man, a gentleman by the name of Tim, really looks forward to it. He comes down the street in the truck and jumps out of the truck with some real enthusiasm and runs them up to the door. … When John got the job here in Baltimore, he purchased a setup, a coaching station, which we have set up in our basement.”

Do they take advice from you after you break it down?:

“That’s the interesting part of it is I take the notes and I don’t ever call them. … They’re professionals; they see things. If they would call and ask about something, I’m ready. I’ve got notes; I’ve got opinions. But oftentimes, they don’t call.”

What has made the 49ers so good this year?:

“That was some very, very good football players on that team last year. Their defensive front seven is solid. They run a 3-4, the same structure that the Ravens run. … This Patrick Willis, number 52, same number as Ray Lewis, is just an outstanding linebacker. The thing they were able to do with free agency is Carlos Rogers from Washington was a tremendous addition for them … and they picked up a safety, Whitner I think his name is, from Buffalo. … Then on offense, I think the story out there is the quarterback — No. 1 draft choice Alex Smith that played for a lot of different coordinators and some different head coaches. It’s one of those things that someone said, ‘I believe in you and this is your football team.’”

On the Penn State scandal:

“It’s just devastating. Of course, I got started in the coaching profession about the same time that Joe did there at Penn State, an icon in our business. What’s happening over there is just horrifying. I think the great lesson of it all is all of us need to be on vigil and need to watch and care for those who can’t care for themselves. If any good can possibly come out of this horrifying situation is all of us take it upon ourselves to be more vigilant.”

Listen to Jack Harbaugh on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore here

As usual, Emmert is asked about other pertinent topics like increased stipends. tougher academic requirements for postseason eligibility, but  conference realignment and other areas of reform — but we just recently heard Emmert’s take on those matters recently.

Mark Emmert joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with The Ride with JMV to discuss whether the NCAA as an organization looking into the Penn State scandal, his thoughts on the game between Nebraska and Penn State being played last weekend, and the public perception of the NCAA in general.

Are you any closer, at this point, to looking into Penn State from an NCAA standpoint?:

“We will obviously look at the facts as they become better known, make an assessment as to whether or not the facts — not just the allegations — constitute violations of our bylaws and then we’ll respond accordingly. All of us look at those allegations, and they’re sickening. … While they’re still just allegations and we’ll have to let the criminal justice system establish the criminal facts, it’s certainly deplorable when you think about what might have happened here.”

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he would rather not have played on Saturday. What are your thoughts on the game being played?:

“It really doesn’t matter who was going to be the coach on Saturday or whether they played the game or not, what really mattered is we were watching, again if the allegations are correct, a culture that allowed the exploitation of children that’s just despicable in nature and we needed to worry much more about that than the outcome of a game. … This is a whole lot bigger than a football game.”

Are you satisfied with the public perception of the NCAA. If not, how do you change that?:

“Can’t possibly be satisfied with it. There’s been this whole string of terrible scandals this past year. The Penn State situation is just the most deplorable of those. I think it’s taken away the benefit of the doubt that we had in intercollegiate athletics in general. The NCAA, of course, is the brand of intercollegiate athletics. We have to convince people that we’re going to be true to our values, we’re going to act on those values and we’re doing that every day now.”

Listen to Mark Emmert on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Battier, who was traded from Houston back to Memphis most recently, says he’s at peace knowing that if the NBA never settles their labor dispute, he would be able to use his education to go find gainful employment.

Shane Battier joined KILT in Houston with The Odd Couple to discuss being in attendance for Mike Krzyzewski’s record-setting night, why Coach K is so special in general, the Penn State scandal, how involved he has been in the lockout, what it’s like to be going through it as a free agent and fans who are losing interest in the NBA.

On being in attendance for Mike Krzyzewski’s record-setting victory:

“It was an unbelievable night, a special night. There were about 25 or 30 former players, managers and support staff all at Madison Square Garden. … We were nervous the first half, but once the game was in hand, it was a pretty big celebration and a special night to be there.”

What is it that’s so special about him, not just with sports, but life in general?:

“He’s an unbelievable leader. He happens to just be a basketball coach. But if he was in charge of a corporation or in a government position or a school teacher, he’d be successful because he knows how to unite his group. His biggest asset is getting talented people to worker harder and more together than anybody else. That’s his trademark. There are other coaches who probably know Xs and Os, could probably draw up a better play than Coach K, but I don’t think there’s anybody that can get five people to work together on a court than he can.”

On the Penn State scandal:

“I think I was as shocked as everybody else. It’s a disturbing story and obviously it’s early in the investigation and the trial. It’s premature to really indict anybody, but the initial details and story you hear are shocking and appalling. … Let’s hope something like this never occurs again in athletics or in the world.”

What’s the offseason been like? Have you been involved with the lockout?:

“I’ve been a conscientious observer of the process. I really haven’t been too involved with the mediators, but I’ve been talking to different representatives and guys in the know in the inner circle and given my two cents. Obviously, it stinks. There’s no way around it. The players feel terrible and it’s a no-win situation. There’s not going to be a winner out of this scenario. Unfortunately it’s the ugly business side  of what we do. It’s the side that normally never creeps up, but in times of collective bargaining negotiation, and I’m sure that you guys are sick of reading antitrust law … but it’s the reality of our business.”

What’s it been like to go through the lockout process as a free agent?:

“Life goes on, it really goes on. I’m fortunate to have played 10 years in the league. I’m secure in who I am. At this point, I’m confident that if the NBA were to never settle, I could go out and get a job and use my brain to provide for my family. That’s allowed me amazing piece of mind to just start thinking about post-basketball, but at the same time be ready for when we do settle, if we settle, to be ready to go.”

What do you say to fans who say they’ve grown disinterested in the NBA due to the lockout and say they won’t come back?:

“I feel for them. I can’t deny their feelings, but I know that when we do settle, the players will do their best to win back our fans. We have unbelievable fans. Anyone who’s an NBA fan or has been to an NBA game … knows that we share a bond and a passion over basketball. In the end, the game always wins. You can talk about the litigation and the arguments, but basketball is basketball and it’s never going away. We’re hopeful that people don’t lose sight of that.”

Listen to Shane Battier on KILT in Houston here