Unless Mike Munchak is channeling his inner Nick Saban, the NFL coach won’t be coming “home” to take over the Penn State football program.
With reports swirling that he’s the top choice of PSU’s search committee to replace Joe Paterno as the Nittany Lions’ head coach, Munchak made it very clear this morning that his public stance is he’s not leaving his current head coaching job with the Tennessee Titans to return to his alma mater.
“I have a great deal of respect for Penn St and I hope they find a great coach there,” Munchak told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “But I am happy where I’m at. ...
“I love my alma mater, but I have no interest in being the head coach at Penn State. I never want to leave Tennessee.”
Munchak also told Wyatt that he’s not spoken to anyone at the school during its search process.
If Munchak can be taken at his word -- we’re not saying that he’s lying in any way, shape or form, but coaches have been known to bend the truth to its breaking point to suit their own agenda from time to time -- there is no gray area here: he will not be the next Nittany Lions head coach.
As for where the search committee will now turn their attention, Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has been the name most mentioned in connection to the job. It appears very unlikely anyone will be announced as the new head coach before the middle of next week at the earliest.