Advice for O'Brien: How to succeed a legend

EVEN BEFORE the scandal broke at Penn State and led to his ouster, it was inevitable that the day would come when Joe Paterno would be gone and someone else would be running the Nittany Lions football program. No one could foresee the circumstances of how that would occur - that he would be toppled in the controversy that erupted in the wake of child sex-abuse allegations lodged against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. But no one goes on forever, not even if it sometimes seemed that the beloved JoePa would do just that.

Today, a new era commences in State College. With his responsibilities as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator behind him as of Sunday, when the New York Giants beat his team in the Super Bowl, 21-17, Bill O'Brien takes over exclusively as the head football coach in State College after juggling both jobs since early January. While Paterno had given O'Brien his blessing before he passed away Jan. 22 - Paterno said he had "respect for his coaching record" and seemed heartened that they attended the same college, Brown - O'Brien faces a steep challenge in his new position. In addition to the transitional issues that face any new head coach - which in this case are acute, given the healing that has to occur - O'Brien also just happens to be following in the footsteps of arguably the greatest coach in the annals of college football.

Taking over for a legend is never easy. To get a grasp of the dynamics involved in that, we spoke to four current and former Philadelphia sports personalities who had to do it:

* Rick Schu, who had been briefly slotted to take over for Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt.

* Fran Dunphy, the popular Penn basketball coach who was tabbed to step in for the incomparable John Chaney at Temple.

* Darrall Imhoff, the center the Lakers traded to the Sixers in exchange for the irreplaceable Wilt Chamberlain.

* Tom McCarthy, who followed the singular Harry Kalas as the play-by-play voice for Phillies telecasts.

All of them agree one on thing:

You can never replace a legend.

You can only succeed him.