Last week’s column hit a nerve with Nittany Nation.
I got several e-mails from Penn State fans upset with me for saying that the Nittany Lions should let quarterback Rob Bolden transfer. Well, as it turns out, Bolden won’t be leaving Happy Valley anytime soon because head coach Joe Paterno refused to let Bolden out of his scholarship. If Bolden wants to leave Penn State, he’ll have to sit out a season before joining a new Div. I-A (FBS) school. In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a closer at the controversy surrounding the Bolden situation. We’ll also look at the rumors that defensive coordinator Tom Bradley may be leaving the Lions.
Bolden’s Back
What a difference a week makes indeed.
Last week at this time, it appeared that Bolden, who will be a sophomore next season, would leave Penn State for greener pastures. As it turned out, coach Paterno had other ideas for the QB.
He refused to let Bolden go.
At a meeting between the iconic coach, Bolden and his father, Robert Bolden Sr., Paterno told youngster that he was holding him to his commitment.
That didn’t sit well with the elder Bolden.
“I’m pretty upset,” Bolden told the Altoona Mirror last week. “I didn’t understand why he would want me to stay if I didn’t want to be there. I was looking to get out and get a release, but he thinks otherwise.”
The Boldens met with Paterno hoping to get him to sign off on the release, but that never happened.
“We were under the impression he would get a release and find himself in a better situation,” Bolden Sr. said.
The soon-to-be sophomore QB didn’t seem pleased with the news that he would be staying in Happy Valley.
“If I do come back, for that time me being there, I’ll take advantage of what I have to do and not be a problem for the program,” the younger Bolden told the Altoona Mirror. “But I’m not looking to do that at all.”
So who wins here? Does Paterno win because he denied the release and go what he wanted? Or do the Boldens actually win because Bolden could find himself as Penn State’s starting QB next season?
Truth be told, no one wins.
Paterno does not look good, that’s for sure. By not releasing Bolden, he comes across as selfish. He’d rather hold Bolden hostage and perhaps pick up a few wins instead of letting the kid go so he can go where he wants to go.
The Boldens certainly don’t win. They don’t get what they wanted (a release), although there’s no guarantee that Bolden would be the starter elsewhere. In fact, there’s no guarantee that Bolden will be the starter in Happy Valley when the 2011 season begins. The guess here is that Bolden will be No. 3 on the depth chart behind Paul Jones and Matt McGloin. There’s a reason why Penn State redshirted Jones – because he’s the most talented of the bunch. There’s also a reason why McGloin played the majority of the season – because he was the best option in 2010. When it comes to backing up Jones, McGloin will be Penn State’s option. Bolden will be No. 3. Based on his numbers and what we saw in 2010, that’s right where he belongs.
Pitt’s Epic Failure
The University of Pittsburgh announced late Monday night that it had come to terms with Tulsa coach Todd Graham. This is a monumental mistake by Pitt.
It’s not often you get a do-over in athletics, but that’s exactly what the Pitt athletic department was handed when then-hire Michael Haywood was arrested as a result of a domestic dispute. Haywood was fired and Pitt began its search again. Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was rumored to have landed the gig. In fact, one of Pennsylvania’s largest media outlets reported that Bradley had the job. The story was retracted just a short time after it appeared on the newspaper’s web site.
As it turned out, the search for Dave Wannstedt’s successor was just heating up. Graham apparently jumped Bradley and got an official offer on Monday night.
That’s a shame.
Pitt really dropped the ball here. Bradley would have been an excellent choice to lead the Panthers. He’s an excellent recruiter and coordinator who deserves a shot as a head coach. In western Pennsylvania, Bradley would’ve locked up every four- and five-star recruit. It certainly was not hard to picture Bradley in the blue and gold.
Instead, Pitt went for Graham.
Nittany Nation appeared to be split on Bradley’s potential departure. There were some who wanted to see Bradley leave just so he could get a head coaching job. Others did not want Bradley to leave, realizing that Bradley would crush the Nittany Lions in recruiting.
It says here that Bradley would have taken the job if both sides could’ve come to terms on money.
Penn State is lucky that Bradley is not departing. Now, it should do the right thing and lock up Bradley for the long haul. Make him head coach in waiting so when JoePa finally does hang up the black Nikes, the Nits won’t miss a beat.
Something tells me that won’t happen.
Chris Morelli is a writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. Also, be sure to check out Morelli OnLion on Facebook!