At the same time Penn State announced the firing of Joe Paterno, the school also announced that defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will take over as head coach on an interim basis.
Bradley was officially introduced as the interim coach during a press conference Thursday afternoon, and became emotional on at least a couple of occasions when talking about Paterno and what the coaching icon has meant to him during his 33 years on the Nittany Lions’ staff.
“Coach Paterno has meant more to me than anybody except my father,” Bradley said. “Coach Paterno will go down in history as one of the greatest men. Most of you know him as a great football coach. I’ve had the privilege and honor to work for him, spend time with him. He’s had such a dynamic impact on so many, so many -- I’ll say it again -- so many people and players’ lives.
“It’s with great respect that I speak of him, and I’m proud to say that I’ve worked for him.”
As expected, Bradley refused to answer any questions related to the scandal that’s enveloped college football, saying multiple times that he couldn’t speak on the issue due to the ongoing investigation.
Bradley did say, however, that Mike McQueary, who’s become a target of criticism for his role in the scandal, will coach against Nebraska Saturday, although it’s yet to be decided whether he’ll do that from the sidelines or the press box. The decision to keep McQueary on the staff, Bradley said, came from acting athletic director Mark Sherburne .
Additionally, Bradley confirmed that Jay Paterno, JoePa’s son, will also continue to perform his duties as an offensive assistant.