STATE COLLEGE, PA -- New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has agreed to replace Joe Paterno as Penn State's head coach, according to multiple reports.
ESPN, citing unnammed sources, first reported Thursday night that an official announcement would be made Saturday, and that O'Brien would continue on as an assistant with the Patriots the rest of the postseason.
Penn State coaches contacted by The Associated Press said they had not received any word late Thursday night about O'Brien or anything else related to the two-month long search to replace Paterno. He was fired Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Spokespersons for Penn State and the Patriots both declined comment on the report.
O'Brien interviewed on Thursday, his agent said. In fact, Joe Linta told The Associated Press, earlier Thursday, that O'Brien was "flattered by the interest."
USA Today first reported that O'Brien was scheduled to interview, citing an unidentified person with knowledge of the situation.
This was O'Brien's first year coordinating the Patriots' high-scoring offense, but he coached star quarterback Tom Brady since 2009. He spent 2008 coaching receivers.
O'Brien first joined New England in 2007 following 14 seasons on the collegiate level, including stops at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. He played college football at Brown -- Joe Paterno's alma mater.
Paterno, Division I's winningest coach with 409 victories, coached 46 seasons before trustees ousted him Nov. 9.
Penn State officials had termed the search "methodical and deliberate." Acting athletic director David Joyner had said he would like to give Paterno's replacement at least a few weeks to recruit before high school seniors can begin to announce their official intentions to attend college on Feb. 1.
Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who took over for Paterno on an interim basis, also interviewed. Bradley was on the road recruiting Thursday, the second of a four-day recruiting contact period. Another 16-day contact window starts Jan. 13.
"I believe the search is continuing and progressing very well as we hoped it would," Joyner said during a taped segment at halftime of the radio broadcast of Thursday night's basketball game between Purdue and Penn State. "I anticipate having a new head coach in place in time to take full advantage of the open period that's coming up."
Calls and emails of interest from qualified potential applicants were still coming in, Joyner said during the segment.
Defensive line coach Larry Johnson also received an interview. Two persons with knowledge of the search also confirmed earlier reports that Paterno's son, quarterback coach Jay Paterno, interviewed for the job. The persons requested anonymity because no one was authorized to speak about the search.
San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman interviewed in November and his agent said this week he was on the "short list" for the job.
Among other rumored names, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak denied interest in the job three times since his former coach was fired. And Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements declined comment when asked if he was interested in the job and would not confirm a report that he had interviewed.
(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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