Penn State Scandal: Virginia's Offer to Jerry Sandusky Shows Depth of Cover-Up

If there's any lingering doubt about the lengths to which Penn State went to cover up allegations in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, look no further for evidence than the University of Virginia.

According to the Victoria Advocate, Sandusky interviewed for the head coaching job in Charlottesville in 2000 but lost out to then-New York Jets head coach Al Groh after "discussions...reached an impasse."

That "impasse," as David Teel of the Daily Press suggests, may well have been the skepticism among then-athletic director Terry Holland and then-president John Casteen about Sandusky's desire to return to the sidelines. Sandusky had retired from coaching in 1999 to devote his time to his "Second Mile" foundation, through which he first made contact with his alleged victims, after 32 seasons on Joe Paterno's staff at Penn State, including the final 23 as the defensive coordinator.

Sandusky's alleged sexual abuse of young boys allegedly first came to light the year prior, when Penn State officials told him simply to not shower with kids rather than report his activities to the proper authorities.

Teel also notes that Sandusky didn't exactly object to Virginia's decision to move forward with Groh in charge, as the coach told Jeff White of the Richmond Times-Dispatch: “I'm a very complex person. I couldn't deny the importance of Second Mile in my life. I could have played a game and said I was something different than I am, but that's not me.”

Sandusky added that coaching the Cavaliers “would have been neat in a lot of ways, but I've got a lot going on here, and I'll be OK.”

Surely, those words now carry with them a meaning that is all too haunting for his victims and their families today.

Whether UVA knew about any Sandusky's transgressions is still yet to be determined, though if it didn't, then such would point to either a poor background check done by the folks in Charlottesville or a determined cover-up by Sandusky's superiors in Happy Valley.

Regardless, these latest revelations only serve to deepen the rabbit hole of this sickening scandal that was brought to light just last week. Who or what else pops up—whether it be the University of Maryland, where Sandusky interviewed for the head coaching position in 1991, or Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and University of Miami boss Al Golden, both of whom were slated to join Sandusky's staff in Charlottesville—remains to be seen.

At this point, the only certainty is that the Sandusky scandal is more far-reaching than anyone yet knows, and it will only grow more tragic as new details emerge.