Former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will reportedly join West Virginia’s coaching staff, according to West Virginia MetroNews.
Bradley famously took over as Penn State’s interim head coach in 2011 after the school’s board of trustees fired Joe Paterno. Prior to that, Bradley had been at Penn State since 1975 as a player, graduate assistant, or coach.
After leading the Nittany Lions to a 1-3 record, including a win at Ohio State, “Scrap” resigned from Penn State after not being named the school’s full-time head coach, a title that instead went to Bill O’Brien. Since leaving Happy Valley, Bradley joined CBS Sports as an analyst.
Bradley played defensive back under Paterno from 1975-78. Once his career ended, he stayed at Penn State as a graduate assistant, and over the next three decades, was the team’s running backs, wide receivers, outside linebackers, special teams, and defensive backs coach. In 2000, Bradley replaced Jerry Sandusky as the school’s defensive coordinator, a position he would hold until he was named interim head coach.
Penn State’s defenses were usually stout under Bradley, often having a “bend but don’t break” mentality. The results showed on the field: under Bradley’s tutelage, Penn State’s defense ranked 3rd in the nation in scoring defense and was 5th in total defense from 2004 to 2011, and Bradley was named the National Defensive Coordinator of the Year by the Associated Press in 2005.
There is no word on what Bradley’s role will be at West Virginia, but the team currently has a vacancies at safeties coach due to last year’s safeties coach, Tony Gibson, being promoted to defensive coordinator. An official announcement is expected in the next week. The Mountaineers start spring practice on March 2.
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