DALLAS -- In many ways, Penn State football might never be the same now that this tumultuous season is over, but those closely associated with the program believe it will continue to stand for the same great things it has for years.
The Nittany Lions lost to Houston in the TicketCity Bowl on Monday, 30-14, and now the future of the program is as unclear as ever as it awaits the naming of a new head coach.
Several leading coaching candidates have been mentioned in media reports, although most have ended up downplaying their interest. No matter who is chosen to succeed Joe Paterno, his son says the Penn State program will remain a source of pride for fans.
"Our alumni base and our fans and our students, they have an expectation of what Penn State is about," said Jay Paterno, the quarterbacks coach. "They have an expectation that our kids are going to go to class, that they're going to carry themselves a certain way, and a lot of our former players have that same expectation.
"A lot of guys have come to me -- former players -- and said, 'No matter what happens, we're going to demand that Penn State continues to be what Penn State has always been.'"
The Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal rocked Penn State in early November, leading to the firing of Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier. The players and coaches who remained on the team continued to do their jobs under difficult circumstances and finished the regular season with a 9-3 record.
Asked about his lasting memory of this roller coaster of a season, offensive lineman Quinn Barham said, "It's a long list, man. It's a long list of memories on the field, off the field. I'm just glad this team stuck together."
The team was able to do that in large part thanks to strong leadership from the coaching staff. Longtime Penn Stater Tom Bradley was elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach, and under his guidance the players earned a lot of praise for how they conducted themselves while dealing with so much adversity.
"They have been 'Success With Honor,'" Jay Paterno said of the players. "I think that's one of those things that's going to continue. I think that's one of those things that we've got to start to fight for as a program that people recognize that that has not gone away and will not."
Many fans would like to see Bradley named the permanent coach, and while he has been interviewed for the job, it's unclear if the administration wants to hire him or clean house with the coaching staff.
Bradley plans to keep doing everything he can for the program as long as he remains interim coach.
"I told you I'm going to work till the very end until they tell me I'm no longer needed," he said. "That's what Penn State is paying me to do and what is in my heart that I am going to do because I love this university and I love the people."
Offensive coordinator Galen Hall, a Williamsburg native, is unsure about his future just like the rest of the coaches on the staff.
"There's a lot of young guys on this staff that are very, very good coaches, and they've been sort of tainted [by the scandal]," Hall said. "And hopefully whoever takes this over will consider all the coaches because there are really, really good coaches on this staff."
Mirror Staff Writer Cory Giger can be reached at 949-7031 and @CoryGiger on Twitter.
