A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson has denied the rumors longtime Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has taken the head coach position at the University of Pittsburgh. The spokesperson said that the school has not yet offered the head coach job to anyone. Cory Giger also tweeted that a source told him there hadn’t been an official offer yet.

The rumor spread quickly through the Penn State twittersphere this evening following a report from WTAE 4 in Pittsburgh that Bradley would be named as Pitt’s new head coach.

Pitt has been scrambling for a new coach following the dismissal of Michael Haywood for an arrest in a domestic battery incident involving the mother of his child. The other candidate to have been interviewed for the position is Alabama assistant coach Sal Sunseri.

On Sunday, Joe Paterno shared his thoughts on Bradley’s potential as Pitt’s head coach:

I think Tommy is a fine coach. He has good, strong city of Pittsburgh contacts. He’s got a brother (Jim) who is an orthopedic surgeon, head surgeon for the Steelers. I think Tommy should be a very, very prominent person as a possibility.

Joe’s thoughts on the matter are extremely pertinent given Bradley’s key role in the Penn State football program. Bradley generated speculation in December when he was passed over by Temple for the head coach position vacated by Al Golden, another Penn State alum who is now headed to coach the University of Miami Canes. Some interpreted that as a signal that regime change was coming in Happy Valley, but at this point those rumors still appear to have been false. Joe and the university are both adamant that Paterno will continue coaching through 2011.

The biggest question I have about this story is: What made Bradley jump for the Temple and Pitt jobs after 36 years of Penn State football? Joe Paterno, even if he is not retiring this year, cannot be many years away from stepping down as head coach. Does Bradley know he won’t get the Penn State job when Joe goes? Or is Bradley just ready right now to head his own program? Leave your thoughts about what a Bradley departure means below.