Penn State trend can’t continue

October 23, 2026

The definition of Penn State football is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Following last season’s debacle, AD Pat Kraft had ample time to make a head coaching hire. What did he do? After fumbling BYU’s Kalani Sitake, Kraft hired a monotonous coach in Matt Campbell with a blue-collar “do more with less” approach. If you’re aware of what’s holding PSU back, you know this was the exact opposite hire the program needed. Who Penn State needed to hire: Bob Chesney. A native Pennsylvanian, Chesney has done nothing but win at every ...

Campbell will need time

October 16, 2026

Pat Kraft’s delay cost precious time for Matt Campbell to organize a team. James Franklin took 10 players and lost others. We lost a recruiting class. All potential great transfers were gone. Campbell had to bring 24 Cyclones to fill the roster, and it’s quite evident Big 12 talent doesn't match Big Ten talent. Campbell appears to be a coach that embraces and feels the legacy of PSU and Joe Paterno. Saturday night, 114,000 poured their lungs and hearts into the White Out. We will endure many more potholes this season. We have great tradition, a magnificent facility and still ...

PSU faces reality vs. expectations

October 9, 2026

NIL not withstanding, Penn State fans don’t appear to see the reality of a football program that has only won two national championships in its existence, and a 9-3 or 10-2 season might be really all that can be expected. Granted, this may be a sit back and wait season, but last year’s “recruiting” (ie. shell out NIL money) was doomed to be a failure, and so give the new guy wiggle room to spend $20-30 million to buy a decent team. And that might just be two or three losses. Face up to college football reality, enjoy the pageantry, the tailgating and the game itself. ...

Wisconsin game brings warning

October 2, 2026

I looked up James Franklin’s winning percentage — almost 70% (.698). That includes not only the patsies but bowl games, too. Everyone looked to Matt Campbell with high hopes, and the new savior did everything right with stomping three patsies. So was Wisconsin real, just good luck or a sign maybe Penn State was not worthy of ranking? If Wisconsin played us so tough, can we beat USC, Michigan and Washington? I think not. I do like Campbell. Let’s hope he can recruit like Franklin then develop what Franklin could not. I bleed blue and white, was a big Joe Paterno fan, ...

New model of college sports is a turnoff

August 14, 2026

I enjoyed Neil Rudel’s Aug. 6 column leading into the Penn State football season. 1. First, to address his question about predicting the season. My word is uncertain. A lot — a whole lot — of new moving parts — players, coaches, opponents, the entire lousy system of what used to be college sports (see No. 2). He and I have corresponded about this for a couple of years, since the disastrous Peach Bowl against Ole Miss when, in my opinion, so many Penn State players quit on the team. 2. College sports is no longer “college” sports. It’s “professional” sports ...

Coach, mentor feels blessed

July 17, 2026

I would like to thank John Hartsock of the Altoona Mirror sports department for the spot-on masterpiece (“Trio celebrates enduring bond of friendship” Altoona Mirror, June 20-21 edition) that he wrote about the 50-year friendship that I’ve had with Dr. Zane Gates and Carl Fochler, that began when I was their Little League Baseball coach. As a counselor, coach and volunteer, I have been blessed to work with many wonderful boys and girls, and in turn, I would like to thank my family, friends and mentors that I’ve had over the years. I would also like to thank everybody from my ...