Penn State Coaching Search: Bill O'Brien Hired, Ending Greg Roman Rumors

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman had been linked to the open head coaching job at Penn State after the sudden departure of Joe Paterno, but it appears the rumors can be put to rest. According to multiple sources on Thursday evening, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has accepted the job.

Filed to ESPN: Penn State plans to make official announcement Saturday that Patriots OC Bill OBrien is new head coach #ESPN #NFL32

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 6, 2012

This is good news for the 49ers, who are eagerly preparing and awaiting their first playoff game in nearly a decade. There was some concern that coach Roman may not have his entire focus on preparing his offense for the postseason, but with the vacancy filled, those in San Francisco no longer have to wonder about him.

Best of luck at Penn State, Bill O'Brien. You'll probably need it.

For more on the 49ers, head on over to Niners Nation.

Penn State Coach Search: Patriots O.C. Bill O'Brien Interviews With Penn State, Possible Deal Coming Soon

According to NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora, current New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien interviewed for the vacant head coaching position at Penn State on Wednesday, and could possibly strike a deal with the University in the near future.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are also looking to interview O'Brien for their head-coaching job this weekend during the Pats bye week, though that is looking less likely as of now. If O'Brien were to leave the Patriots, that oculd possibly open a path for Josh McDaniels to return to working with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in New England, where the current St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator began his NFL coaching career.

There also has been some interest in current San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman in the Penn State job, though with O'Brien entering into the mix, it would be much less likely now that Roman would be leaving to lead the Nitany Lions.

Penn State Coaching Search: 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman Remains A Candidate

The Penn St. Nittany Lions continue to search for their next head coach after the sudden firing of Joe Paterno just a few months ago. While there have been numerous candidates linked to the open position in recent days, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman continues to be one of the leading candidates, according to reports.

"I've spoken with Penn State, had some discussions with them about a month ago and found everybody involved on their end to be extremely intelligent, extremely focused on finding the best person they could under the unique circumstances there at Penn State," Roman said.

Roman said that the meeting was mutual and at the time, he was focused on preparing the gameplan for the 49ers.

And as for why Roman, who already runs an offense similar to many that are using in the Big 10, is interested in the Penn State job.

"It's about the individual opportunities, the people you're surrounding yourself with," Roman said. "And a job like Penn State is a lifetime job. That's a job if I were to become the head coach there, I'd wouldn't leave there.

"I'd be back East, setting up camp, I'd be at the (Jersey) Shore in the summer. And that would be my routine.That's a very unique opportunity at Penn State, so that's something I'd definitely consider strongly. But I love where I'm at right now."

There is no denying that Roman could restore Penn St. back to its glory days, although it will likely take a lot of time and effort. He already has a pretty sweet gig for himself in San Francisco and the Nittany Lions won't be the last team to call him about a job opening.

"Whatever seems the best fit, I'll lean in that direction," Roman said. "Jim Harbaugh had the same situation last year. Several colleges really wanted him as the head coach, including Stanford and some NFL teams. It will be something I would go to him on."

It'll be very interesting to see how this whole situation plays out, especially with the 49ers currently in the hunt for a Super Bowl. Will it become a distraction for the offense and coach Roman? Will coach Harbaugh give Roman his blessing to take the job, or will he do everything in his power to retain the offensive coordinator? There are more questions than answers at this point.

For more on the 49ers, head on over to Niners Nation.

Penn State Coaching Search: Greg Roman One Of The Finalists

The Greg Roman - Penn State rumors look like they're pretty solid. And now Roman might be one of the last men standing who's being considered the job. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A source has confirmed that 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman is one of the finalists to be the new head coach at Penn State.

The news of Penn State’s interest in Roman was first reported today by Tom Dienhart of the Big Ten Network.

It would be a remarkable rise for Roman, especially considering he has only two years of coaching experience in college. He has worked at various assistant coaching positions in the pros and had various offensive responsibilities on Jim Harbaugh's staffs at Stanford, and there's no doubt the way Roman has helped turn the San Francisco offense from a weakness into a relative strength. Roman could bring the rugged, physical style of offense back to Penn State, and it wouldn't be too hard a transition, since that's pretty much the type of football emblematic of the Big Ten.

To discuss the possibility of Roman leaving the 49ers to join the Nittany Lions, go to Niners Nation to talk with San Francisco fans or Black Shoe Diaries to talk with Penn State fans.

Penn State Coach Search: 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman Considered Candidate

Greg Roman has helped turn the 49ers into a power-running, opportunistic offense in his one year with the team.