Bill O'Brien Update: Struggling With Leaving Players At Penn State?

Updating the earlier update on Bill O'Brien and the Texans' efforts to make him the third head coach in franchise history...

Houston sports fans know (or should know) John Harris. He's a longtime radio host on 1560 The Game and Yahoo Sports Radio. Or was until yesterday, when YSR made the foolish decision to terminate him. I say "foolish" because Harris was one of the, if not the, most knowledgeable hosts in the market. He actually played college football and coached high school football, so he knows that of which he speaks. Guess where he played college football?

Brown University.

Guess who was a teammate of his at Brown University?

Some dude named Bill O'Brien.

Before we get to what Harris has to say, I give you these two tweets:

Bill O'Brien is due $836,065 bonus if he remains at Penn State through 2013. Perhaps that is holding up his move to the NFL.

— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) December 31, 2013

Am told Bill O'Brien went back to #PennState & then circled back to the #Texans in negotiations but Houston brass didn't budge.

— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) December 31, 2013

Now John Harris' flurry of tweets this evening:

I'll say this about the 2013 bonus & O'Brien...staying to get that bonus isn't his way, not close. That comes from 2 decades of knowing him.

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

He may not leave PSU but his staying there isn't to receive some damn bonus. His waiting until Jan 1 to leave isn't to get the bonus either.

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

At times like these, we tend to forget the human element. There are 32 of there NFL jobs in the world. It's what every coach wants...

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

That last tweet would seem to lend credence to this tweet from Michael Giardi of CSN New England:

Source with knowledge of situation says Bill O'Brien having a difficult time walking away from PSU for pros. Notes BOB is a "loyal guy"

— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 1, 2014

Back to Harris:

@damon77049 I just know that it's not always what the media says it is.

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

@damon77049 that is all I CAN say

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

@texanfan2002114 No.

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

@bwwbill No, don't think so.

— John Harris (@jharrisfootball) January 1, 2014

The plot thickens.

UPDATE: Our friend Cari Greene of SB Nation's site for all things Penn State, Black Shoe Diaries, informs us that Bill O'Brien already received the bonus discussed above:

Kim Jones is incorrect in her tweet. O’Brien received the bonus this morning; per his contract, the payout date is December 31, not Jan 1.

Also, as it was paid on services already rendered, he could have received a pro rata portion of it at any time during his contract. That bonus was not a hold up in signing a contract, let alone a difference in signing one today versus tomorrow (he should have received the money at 12:01 am this morning, not at the "end of 2013" as Kim is implying).

Cari then does us a solid by posting a link to O'Brien's contract so you can learn more about his financial situation in Happy Valley.

UPDATE:  WHOO!!!! ~bfd:

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter Filed to ESPN from me and @mortreport: Bill O'Brien has reached agreement to become the new head coach of the Houston Texans, per sources.