With the news that head coach Todd Graham has left Pitt for Arizona State, it’s probably a bit early for any real speculation of potential replacements. But one name that’s sure to be rumored is Penn State defensive coordinator and interim head coach Tom Bradley.
Bradley was considered after Michael Haywood was dismissed, but eventually passed over in favor of Graham. While he was a long-time assistant at Penn State, he has ties to western Pennsylvania and was believed to have strong interest in coming to Pitt.
The thing that may hurt Bradley, obviously, is the recent Penn State scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Pitt may not want to bring questions or any baggage from that scandal into the university and while Bradley certainly brings a great many positives to the table (stability and the knowledge of the local recruiting base, to name a few), that may not be enough.
For more on the Pitt head coaching search and the Todd Graham resignation, check out SB Nation’s Pitt blog Cardiac Hill.