Pitt Football: Tom Bradley of Penn State Inches Closer to Pitt Head Coaching Job

Update: Tom Bradley is now one of five candidates the Panthers are seriously interested in according to Joe Schad of ESPN.com. Add Sal Sunseri, Alabama's linebackers coach and father of current Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri, Teryl Austin, last season's defensive coordinator at Florida and a popular choice among many fans, Paul Chyrst, Wisconsin's offensive coordinator, and, of course, Todd Graham to the list of candidates.

And don't be surprised if Pitt's choice is announced at the BBVA Compass Bowl in an attempt to turn the story around as a Pitt plus.

Paul Zeise, Pitt football beat reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Chris Peak, writer-in-chief for Pantherlair, Pitt's rivals.com sports board, are both reporting today that Tom Bradley, longtime assistant to Penn State's Joe Paterno, has become the prime candidate for the Pitt head coaching job.

Ed Bouchette, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sportswriter, revealed yesterday that Dan Rooney, former CEO of the Pittsburgh Steelers and ambassador to Ireland, called Steve Pederson, Pitt's athletic director, now under fire on every front, to ask him to interview Bradley. 

Dr. James P. Bradley, physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Steelers organization, is Tom's brother. Rooney may have just been doing his team's chief physician a favor, but knowing the integrity with which Art Rooney has conducted all of his business, that doesn't seem likely.

According to Bouchette, the following transpired between the Steelers, the landlord at Heinz Field and the Panthers, Heinz's only tenant:

"Dan Rooney called Steve Pederson to recommend he talk to Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley before he hired a coach several weeks ago. Pederson never interviewed Bradley. The relationship between Pitt and the Steelers, who share the same indoor facility, a lunchroom and an office duplex, has been strained" (Steelers Chat Transcript, Jan. 4, 2011).

Pederson's failure to return Art Rooney's call could have been his final mistake at Pitt.

Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg, once informed of Pederson's omission and Rooney's anger, made contact with Bradley yesterday. 

Pitt requires its prime coaching candidates to go silent once contacted by the university. Bradley, a friendly, talkative guy, has gone quiet.

Despite the information lock-down, Pittsburgh media sources have been able to figure out that Todd Graham of Tulsa is, or was, another hot prospect. Graham has neither expressed nor denied interest in the job when questioned by the Tulsa media.

Pitt could probably offer Bradley a deal similar to the one Dave Wannstedt had with a base salary of $1.1 million and incentives to raise the salary to about $1.4 million.

Graham is already making around $1 million and signed a 10-year contract extension last January according to Tulsa World in its Jan. 9, 2009 edition.

Other prospective candidates are falling off the list: Rich Rodriquez is still viewed by many in the Pitt community as toxic; Marvin Lewis received an extension from Cincinnati; and Brady Hoke, the current San Diego State coach, is waiting by the phone for Michigan's Big Blue to call.

Bradley is now the main focus to replace recently terminated Mike Haywood, who replaced Dave Wannstedt, released from his job as Pitt head coach on Dec. 7, 2010.

Steve Pederson hopped on a plane Sunday after meeting with Pitt's remaining assistant coaches.

Destination? Unknown.

The Pitt News, the daily student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh, reported this information about Pitt's athletic director yesterday:

"When asked about Pederson’s plans for the bowl game, E.J. Borghetti, a spokesman for the athletic department, declined to comment about the athletic director’s travel plans. Throughout the entire ordeal, Pederson spoke to the media only once..." (The Pitt News, Jan. 4, 2011).