Tom Bradley Officially Out At Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach and longtime assistant coach Tom Bradley is officially out of a job today (via Philly.com). Bradley has been with Penn State for the last 33 years, but was not hired as the full-time head coach or retained on the staff by new head coach Bill O'Brien.

Bradley first announced that he was leaving the campus on his Twitter account earlier today.

Finished packing up my office late last night. Walked out the doors proud with a lot of great memories and friends and a better man. (via Twitter)

In a prepared statement Bradley said in part

I wish Coach O'Brien all the best. No matter the challenges that the university may face, Penn State will always have my support. This is forever my home and forever my family. It is important that we come together to support our players and our university. Now is the time to demonstrate that we are - and always will be - Penn State. (via Centre Daily)

Ted Roof was officially hired as the defensive coordinator on Friday to replace Bradley.

For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Evaluating The New Penn State Coaching Staff

Penn State hired who? Bill O'Brien? Who the heck is he and what does that mean for the program. Let's find out.

Bill O'Brien Reportedly Finalizes Penn State Coaching Staff

The Penn State Nittany Lions have reportedly finished adding assistant coaches under new head coach Bill O'Brien (via Philly.com). However, Penn State football SID Jeff Nelson tweeted that the school will not announce the coaching staff officially until

all University employment procedures have been completed (via Twitter)

O'Brien reportedly added South Carolina special teams coach John Butler and New England Patriots offensive assistant George Godsey to his staff. Butler will likely coach defensive backs while Godsey will be the quarterbacks coach.

O'Brien wanted to have his staff in place by today. It appears that the only members that aren't currently staffed are GA positions.

Here's a list of the new Penn State coaching staff from Black Shoe Diaries:

Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator - Bill O'Brien
Defensive Coordinator - Ted Roof
Quarterbacks Coach - George Godsey
Running Backs Coach - Charles London
Wide Receivers Coach - Stan Hixon
Tight Ends Coach - John Strollo
Offensive Line Coach - Mac McWhorter
Defensive Line Coach - Larry Johnson
Linebackers Coach - Ron Vanderlinden
Defensive Backs Coach - John Butler
Strength Training - John Thomas

For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Jay Paterno Out At Penn State After 17 Years

The Penn State Nittany Lions are still filling out their new coaching staff under new head coach Bill O'Brien. Longtime Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno will not be part of that staff (via NBC Philadelphia).

Paterno had a meeting with O'Brien and came to an agreement that he would not be part of the staff going forward. Paterno has not made a decision on what he will do next.

In a statement, Paterno said

"I wish the program the best of luck in carrying on the academic and athletic excellence that have been a hallmark of this university for decades." (via Associated Press)

He also said

"As for Penn Staters, I cannot even begin to express what your support has meant to me and my family over the past seventeen seasons and in particular the past two months," he said in the statement. "Through the tumult of the past several weeks, it has been your stalwart support combined with life lessons learned from Joe Paterno that has and continue to sustain us."

Paterno was an assistant for his father Joe Paterno for 17 years. For the last 12 seasons, Paterno was the quarterbacks coach for the Nittany Lions.

For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Football Search: Can Bill O'Brien Learn From Tom Crean?

Replacing a college coaching legend, especially one who fell disgracefully from his perch, cannot be easy. Bill O'Brien's job at Penn State isn't just to fill the coaching shoes of Joe Paterno, whose 409 victories lead all other Division I college coaches in history, but also to rebuild the Nittany Lions program in the wake of one of the worst scandals college sports have ever seen.

Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim suggests O'Brien should take some advice from Indiana men's basketball coach Tom Crean. Like O'Brien, Crean came to a Big Ten school that has always prided itself on morals and fair play but was in the throes of scandal. Though Indiana's NCAA violations didn't compare to Jerry Sandusky's alleged crimes and the cover-up that ensued, Crean was able to persevere through the violations and now has his Hoosiers in the top 10.

As Wertheim writes, here's how Crean's advice for O'Brien might go:

I don't want to minimize this. Rebuilding is a bitch. You're going to lose recruits to other schools that stress the instability and reference the scandal. You'll lose games. You'll have players test you because they know you don't have anyone credible on the bench to replace them with. And again, you're dealing with a situation that's much more complex and less predictable than mine was. If Jerry Sandusky takes a plea your situation breaks a lot different than it does if there's a long, drawn-out trial.

But keep at it. I know you had to leave that basketball game early on Sunday, shaking hands with trustees and meeting your players and doing interviews and whatnot. Had you stayed you would have seen my team grind out a win, our first conference road victory in 16 games. We left State College 15-1 and moved into the top 10. It's a process. Stick with it and you have a shot. By the time you're done, you may even get your own flavor at the creamery.

Read Wertheim's entire article.

For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Ted Roof To Become Penn State Defensive Coordinator, According To Report

New Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien said he wanted to have seven of his coaches in place by this Wednesday. On Monday, he reportedly hired Ted Roof to be his defensive coordinator, replacing Tom Bradley (via Eye On College Football) who served as the interim head coach after Joe Paterno was fired.

Roof was previously the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 2009-2011 and had recently been hired in the same capacity at UCF. Roof is another coach which has a Duke connection to Bill O'Brien. Roof was at Duke as the head coach from 2003-2007 (he went 6-45) while O'Brien worked for him as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2005-2006.

O'Brien promised his staff would have a mix of college and pro experience. With Roof, he brings in a coach who has only coached the at the collegiate level since he was a GA at Alabama in 1987-1988.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching hire, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State's Bill O'Brien Adds Second Assistant Coach: Charles London Will Coach Running Backs

Now that the Penn State Nittany Lions have their man at head coach in Bill O'Brien, he is building his staff. During his introductory press conference, O'Brien announced that he would retain Larry Johnson as defensive line coach.

Today, the Tennessean is reporting that O'Brien has asked Tennessee Titans quality control coach Charles London to join the Penn State staff and that London accepted. London worked previously with O'Brien when he was a Duke. He will be the running backs coach for the Nittany Lions.

London said about his new job at Penn State

"Our mind-set is we know there will be challenges, but a lot of the guys that were there had nothing to do with the scandal and it is a shame the university has been tarnished in that way,'' London said Saturday. "But we are going to do our best to try and restore the name of Penn State football. I really had no reservations in going. I believe in Coach O'Brien, and that made it easy for me." (via Tennessean.com)

Stay tuned for more news as O'Brien fills out his new coaching staff. O'Brien has stated that he will have seven coaches on board by Wednesday.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching hire, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Press Conference: Bill O'Brien "Thrilled To Be The Head Football Coach At Penn State"

Penn State introduced its new head football coach yesterday, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who told reporters that he’s “thrilled” to be a part of the storied program and stressed in his opening comments that his tenure will stress character.

“As the head football coach of this special football program, it is my responsibility to ensure that this football program represents the highest level of character, respect and integrity in everything we do. That includes my coaching staff, our players, everyone involved in the football program. We will take very seriously our duty to interact in an exemplary fashion with our great alumni, our students, our faculty, our fans, our media and members of the community. There is so much pride in Penn State, and we will never, ever take that for granted, ever. "

O’Brien also addressed Joe Paterno in his opening comments and acknowledged the contributions of the legendary coach.

“Before I go any further, I have to say my feelings about Coach (Joe) Paterno. As a young football coach‑‑ well, I look like I’m 50, but I’m only 42…follicularly challenged. But I grew up following the Penn State football program. I was the type of person that always loved to watch them because of the helmets, the uniforms, the black cleats, no names on the back of the jerseys, and also because of the man on the sidelines, Coach Paterno.

There will never be enough words to say what he did for this program as far as wins, as far as off the field graduating kids, graduating student-athletes every single year. I can’t wait to meet him, and I look forward to that as soon as I can get that done. "

O’Brien wouldn’t give details on his prospective staff, but did say that it would come together quickly and when they did they would have one major job. Recruiting.

“As far as recruiting, when I get the staff in place, which, like I said, will be fairly quickly, I’ve told them there’s some things that we’ve got to get done. We’ve got to make sure that we secure the guys that are committed right now. You know that I can’t mention any names right now as far as the NCAA rules go, but make sure that we secure those guys. I think the other thing we have to do is we’ve got to get out in the mid‑Atlantic states, our bloodlines, Pennsylvania, Maryland, (Washington) D.C., Ohio. We’ve got to get out there and we’ve got to make sure that our coaches are out there in those high schools getting to know those coaches and talking to them about the direction of the Penn State football program right now.

And then after that if there’s anybody else out there that we feel like we can get in on based on connection, or maybe it’s somebody that de-committed or wants to get back, is interested in getting back because they’re happy to have Bill O’Brien as the head coach, then we’ll certainly go after them, that’s for sure. We’ll have a very good plan in place for recruiting going forward. "

Finally, O’Brien read a prepared statement from himself and his staff directed to the Penn State community.

“We respect the right to one’s opinions, beliefs and contributions to Penn State. We admire one’s loyalties to Penn State, Penn State football, its grand tradition, Coach Paterno and all of his football staffs and present and former players.

We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication and feel that through our abilities, ethics, beliefs, work ethic and commitment to Penn State, in time we will find that we have more common interests and goals than not. We are here now with you. You should be proud of Penn State’s numerous accomplishments. You should be proud of Penn State’s football program. You should love this school. You are why we want to be here.

We want you to know that you will always be welcome and a part of our program because we are Penn State."

Penn State Press Conference Introduces Bill O'Brien

New Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien was introduced during a press conference on Saturday morning, declaring his excitement to begin as Penn State's head coach.

"I'm really thrilled to be the head football coach at Penn State," said O'Brien, who added that he and the football program will not take for granted responsibilities to the University, alums, NCAA, fans, players and recruits.

O'Brien noted that Larry Johnson will remain on Penn State's staff, a move that should pay dividends in helping to maintain recruits, and said he would speak individually with the rest of Penn State's staff in the near future. He will also meet with the players for the first time on Sunday.

The new Nittany Lions head coach will remain with the New England Patriots throughout the playoffs, and thanked the Patriots organization for everything they've done.

O'Brien did not hide from Penn State's past, embracing the history and saying he is excited to meet coach Joe Paterno. He added that his job is to turn Penn State into the best football team he can, both on and off the field.

"We have found that person that has Penn State integrity and Penn State ideals," said athletic director Dave Joyner.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching hire, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Bill O'Brien Hire Confirmed By School

Penn State officials confirmed Friday night that former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has been chosen as the football program's new head coach.

O'Brien will be introduced at an 11:30 a.m. news conference on Saturday, which will be aired on the Big Ten Network and streamed at BTN.com.

"The Penn State football program has a great legacy and has contributed enormously to our University community," said Penn State president Rodney A. Erickson in a press release. "A program of this caliber requires a special kind of leader - a leader who will embrace that legacy and maintain the University's commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom. We have that leader in Coach O'Brien, and I look forward to working with him in his new role."

"We have found the man to take Penn State football forward," said athletic director Dave Joyner. "Needless to say, we have been looking for someone with some very special qualities, beginning with a heart that beats to the values and vision of Penn State University and our Penn State football legacy and tradition. That was our starting point, and Coach O'Brien exemplifies those traits that Penn Staters hold so highly. In addition to his model characteristics as a man and a teacher, he's all about producing winners, and doing so the right way. He will embrace tradition, demand excellence and pursue Success with Honor in every phase of our program."

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching hire, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Bill O'Brien Reportedly Lands At University Park Airport (PHOTO)

Penn State refuses to confirm that their new coach is Bill O'Brien, but he just landed at the University Park Airport

(photo via Sara Ganim's Twitter).

The coaching staff at Penn State was informed of an outside hire, without stating the name, at a meeting earlier this evening.

A person familiar with the discussion told the AP Friday evening that the assistant coaches were informed that a new head coach had been hired, and was not from the current staff, though the replacement was not identified. That person also spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to speak about the discussion. (via AP)

Earlier today it was reported that the announcement of O'Brien as head coach would be made on Saturday. Interim head coach Tom Bradley was relieved of his duties today (via Pennlive.com).

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching hire, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: No Coaching Decision Made, According To Report

Just yesterday it was reported that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien was hired as the new head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions and was to be introduced on Saturday. New England owner Robert Kraft even said about O'Brien

"Billy is a very high quality guy, he's got integrity, he's honest, and I'm sad to see him go," Kraft went on, "but I think they've chosen wisely." (via Boston Herald)

Former Penn State players slammed the hire. O'Brien has never been a head coach at any level of football and hasn't coached in college since he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke in 2005-06.

Well, hold the phone...again.

Sara Ganim of the Harrisburg Patriot-News tweeted

Source just told me that as of 4pm #PSU told current coaching staff that no decision has been made.

We'll have more on this story as news become available.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions' coaching search, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Penn State coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

LaVar Arrington Slams Penn State Over Bill O'Brien Hire

Many Penn State alum are not pleased with the hire of Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to be the Nittany Lions head coach. Brandon Short explained the displeasure with the hire, stating the desire for the school to hire someone in the Penn State family.

Add former Penn State football player, Washington Redskin and second overall pick to the list of people currently upset with Penn State University. The retired linebacker took his opinion to Twitter, unleashing the following tweets early this morning:

PSU is hiding something there's way more going on there!

By the board doing what they've done they have in their minds effectively made Joe pattern and the football team a scapegoat

When in fact they are the very people that should've been fired due to the lack of action!

Alums I will always love you and the Penn State I knew

But until there's a new board and new leadership they can have their corrupt/disgusting school that they've created

I'm done all my PSU stuff will be down before obriens introduction! We are! No more for me!

Follow LaVar on Twitter and listen to his radio show, where he promises to explain his tweets.

For more on O'Brien and the Penn State Nittany Lions, head over to the SB Nation blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Bill O'Brien Hired By Penn State: Brandon Short Slams Program Over Choice

Penn State has spent two months in search of a new head football coach after firing Joe Paterno in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. According to reports, they were rebuffed by nearly every major candidate they approached. Mike Munchak turned them down, Chris Peterson, Greg Schiano, Urban Meyer… The list goes on.

They settled on O’Brien, who even said through his agent that he wanted to explore NFL head coaching options before committing to Penn State. O'Brien has no head coaching experience at any level and a somewhat limited resume otherwise. He has been the offensive coordinator of the Patriots for one year and held the same position at Duke for one year.

Brandon Short, the former New York Giant and Penn Stater, slammed the school for going outside their own community to make the hire.

"By not hiring (defensive coordinator Tom) Bradley or a Penn Stater what they have effectively done is turn their backs on 100 years of tradition,‘’ Short said. "Penn State never has been about winning football games. They didn’t recruit the best players — they recruited the best people. If you go to Penn State, you have a better chance of graduating.’’

Short says that O’Brien won’t have the backing of the school’s Letterman, who are often an important tool in recruiting, and doesn’t believe he’s up to the standard set at Penn State.

"There is a tangible standard at Penn State that this poor guy [O’Brien] knows nothing about," Short said. "I feel badly for him [because] he is clueless and will not have the support of the majority of the Lettermen. This is a hornet’s nest [for him]."

For more on O'Brien and the Penn State Nittany Lions, head over to the SB Nation blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Bill O'Brien Named New Penn State Football Coach, According To Report

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will be announced as the new head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions this Saturday, according to Chris Mortenson of ESPN. O'Brien's name shot up as a potential replacement for the legendary Joe Paterno seemingly out of the blue at the close of December, with reports saying he was "on the verge" of taking over in Happy Valley. Just a few days ago, he released a statement through his agent saying that any connection between him and the Penn State job was "off-base," however. On Wednesday Jason LaCanfora reported that O'Brien would interview after all, leading to Thursday night's report from Mortenson.

O'Brien spent the better part of his coaching career in the college ranks before joining the Patriots in 2007. He had stops at Georgia Tech (2001-2002 offensive coordinator), Maryland (2003-2004 running backs coach) and Duke (2005-2006 offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach) before turning to the pro ranks. His ties on the East coast should benefit a Penn State squad in rebuilding mode.

For more on O'Brien and the Penn State Nittany Lions, head over to the SB Nation blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Greg Roman Views PSU As 'Lifetime Job'

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman discussed the head coaching vacancy at Penn State. He is not only apparently still in the running for the job, he will consider it (via CSN Bay Area).

Roman said about Penn State

"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 told 97.3 ESPN radio in South Jersey.

He also said

"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. I love the (49ers) organization here. I love how it's structured. I love how we interact. I love how we solve problems."

Roman maintains that his attention is still currently on the 49ers as he helps them try to win their upcoming playoff game. But if he were to take the Penn State job?

"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."

Will the Jersey Shore have enough of a pull to bring the Ventnor, NJ, native back east to Penn State? Stay tuned.

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Tom Bradley Says "We're Going To Have A New Football Coach Next Year"

Penn State Coaching Search: Greg Roman Reportedly A Finalist, Decision Expected Within A Week

The Penn State head coaching search which has been going on since November may be over within a week. The school previously stated their intention to have a coach in place before National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

According to a report, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who has interview for the job a month ago, is a finalist (via Eric Branch's Twitter). Roman turned down the Tulane head coaching job when it was offered to him (via Eric Branch's twitter).

Earlier today, a report stated that Roman had interviewed with Penn State. The same report also stated that Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien was not going to take the job and that the school intended to take another shot at Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. Petersen previously rebuffed the offer of Penn State to replace Joe Paterno.

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Bill O'Brien Out, Nittany Lions Reportedly Targeting Greg Roman, Chris Petersen

Penn State's lengthy coaching search will continue, according to a report (via Charley Casserly's Twitter). Bill O'Brien, the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator, was previously reportedly meeting with Penn State to hammer out a deal over the next week. O'Brien is apparently now not going to be the next head coach at Penn State.

O'Brien's agent said yesterday

"Any imminent contract signing or agreement (with Penn State) is just off-base," Linta told me. "The most important thing for him is to win the Super Bowl. But if someone is going to be interested in him in the NFL, it's going to happen this week. He could be going somewhere else, he could be returning to the Patriots. But we'll wait and find out if someone is interested in him and seeks permission to talk with him." (via Boston Herald)

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman has been interviewed for the job. Penn State will also apparently take another swing at trying to get Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. Petersen was not interested in the job during Penn State's previous attempt (via CBS Sports).

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: Bill O'Brien Leading Candidate, According To Report

The Penn State Nittany Lions coaching search has been going on since November. It might be coming to a close as New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is reportedly the leading candidate for the job (via ESPN Boston).

O'Brien and the school are thought to be meeting during the Patriots' upcoming bye week to try to hammer out a deal. O'Brien is in the final year of his contract with New England.

He played college football at Brown, as did former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno. O'Brien has not coached in the college ranks since 2005-2006 when he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke. He has been with the Patriots since 2007.

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries. For more on Bill O'Brien the New England Patriots blog Pats Pulpit.

Bill O'Brien Of New England Patriots 'Leading Candidate' For Penn State Head Coaching Job

Just a day away from playing in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl against the Houston Cougars (12 p.m. on ESPNU), its seems that the Penn State football program is close to naming its new head coach, as ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted Sunday that New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator, Bill O'Brien, could now be the favorite to earn the job.

Meanwhile, USA Today's Jonny Saraceno tweeted:

"A person with knowledge of the Penn State hiring tells USA TODAY that only contract details need to be finalized before O'Brien is the man."

On Saturday, ESPN's Joe Schad tweeted that O'Brien was a new candidate in the Nittany Lions' search.

O'Brien is a graduate of Brown University and served as an assistant coach from George Tech (1995-2002), Maryland ('03-04) and Duke ('05-06). In '07, O'Brien was hired by the Patriots and served as offensive assistant, wide receiver and quarterback coach, before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator last February.

O'Brien is also rumored to be a head coaching candidate for some NFL jobs.

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries. For more on Bill O'Brien the New England Patriots blog Pats Pulpit.

Penn State Coaching Search: Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien A Candidate

Joe Schad of ESPN reports that New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator and play-call, Bill O'Brien, will be a candidate for the vacant Penn State coaching job.

Pats OC/play caller Bill O'Brien is a Penn State candidate if Munchak does not happen.

O'Brien is a free agent at the end of the NFL season and has also been rumored to be a potential head coaching candidate in the NFL, with the Kansas City Chiefs specifically.

In an offseason in which seven teams or more could be interviewing head-coaching candidates, and at a time when there are fewer "hot coordinators" than normal, O'Brien's stock is on the rise. Playoff success with the Patriots would only boost his profile.

O'Brien received some national spotlight when he engaged in a shouting match with Tom Brady earlier this season.

For updates on Penn State's search, continue to visit our StoryStream. For more Penn State football coverage, visit our team page or our blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Coaching Search: AD Wants New Coach To Have Time To Talk With Recruits

Penn State Coaching Search: Mike Munchak Is Reportedly A Top Candidate

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak is reportedly the top candidate to take over the reins at Penn State, but Munchak says he is not interested.

Penn State Coaching Search: Boise State's Chris Peterson Reportedly High On PSU's List

Penn State needs a new coach and Boise State head man Chris Peterson could be high up on the wish list.

Penn State Coaching Search: Packers Assistants Vying For Job

Packers QB coach Tom Clements has reportedly submitted his resume for consideration in the Penn State head football coach search. Clements has been Aaron Rodgers’ QB coach since 2006 and is a native of Western Pennsylvania. He also coached on Bill Cowher’s staff with the Steelers as a QB from 2001-2003.

He is the second member of the Packers’ staff to express interest in the Nittany Lions job. Former Penn State great and Green Bay assistant Darren Perry said through his agent he would be flattered if his alma mater were interested.

“If approached by Penn State, this really would be the only college job that he would take a hard look at and really listen to,” said Perry’s agent, Chris Turnage.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review also reports that interim coach Tom Bradley will be interviewed this week and Jay Paterno was interviewed last Friday.

That said, most insiders say that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is still the top target of the search committee. A Rivals.com reporter even said that Mullen was set to be interviewed yesterday. So far, Mullen has denied the reports.

For more on the Penn State coaching search, stay tuned to our storystream. For more on Penn State football, visit our team page or the Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries

Penn State Coaching Search: Dan Mullen Denies Report About Upcoming Interview

It did not take Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen long to deny the report that he was going to be interviewing for the Penn State job. In a matter of minutes after the report, Mullen responded simply "No" to a reporter's question about the interview.

"Amidst all of these reports, neither myself, my agent or the administration at Mississippi State University has been contacted by anybody at Penn State," Mullen told The Clarion-Ledger. "I'm very happy of the direction the Mississippi State program is going in right now." (via Clarion-Ledger)

Mullen has now twice denied being a candidate to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State.

Mullen is 20-17 in three seasons as the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

For more on the Penn State coaching search, stay tuned to our storystream. For more on Penn State football, visit our team page or the Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries

Penn State Coaching Search: Dan Mullen To Interview Monday, According To Report

Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen will reportedly interview for the Penn State job on Monday, Dec. 5 (via Ryan Synder's Twitter feed). Mullen recently emerged as a leading candidate to replace longtime coach Joe Paterno.

On Nov. 30, Mullen had denied a report that he was close on a deal to become the new head coach at Penn State, calling it

the most irresponsible reporting that I've ever heard of (via SB Nation)

Mullen went so far as to say that he had not been contacted by Penn State. He also called the report a rumor drummed up by rivals to hurt the Bulldogs' recruiting efforts.

In three seasons, Mullen is 20-17 as the head coach of Mississippi State.

For more on the Penn State coaching search, stay tuned to our storystream. For more on Penn State football, visit our team page or the Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries

Penn State Coaching Search: Dan Mullen Is Reportedly The Top Candidate

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen has emerged as the favorite to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State.