STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Barely two months into the job, coach Bill O’Brien is setting a new tone for offseason workouts at Penn State.
Heavy metal music blared for portions of a recent pre-dawn outdoor conditioning drill, a rarity in Happy Valley in which the most unique sound at practice was once the distinct voice of O’Brien’s predecessor, the late Joe Paterno.
Perhaps more importantly when it comes to the product on the field, O’Brien has ditched the “high intensity” workout program method favored by Paterno, which focused on endurance. The Nittany Lions are now subscribing to a multi-faceted program that focuses on free weights and Olympic-style lifting.
O’Brien said he wants conditioned players who can operate at a high tempo once football season starts up in September.
