It Is A Wait And See Situation With Tom Bradley, The Top Candidate For The UCLA Defensive Coordinator Position

Last night, Go Joe Bruin caught wind of a story by Bruin Report Online that former Penn State coach Tom Bradley is the front-runner to land the UCLA defensive coordinator position. A move that would be huge for the Bruins, which is probably why head coach Jim Mora has taken his time with the situation, especially with the knowledge that Bradley was at Penn State during the worst era in that football program’s history.

UCLA Bruins

Bradley was the defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions from 2000-2011, which unfortunately puts him at the school at the time of the horrendous Jerry Sandusky situation. You can definitely call this an awkward situation.

You cannot deny that emotions emerge when thinking about that time. Who really wants to? Sandusky committed a heinous crime while others knew about it, yet chose to keep quiet. Yet it must be known that there were many that did not know about it. Did Bradley? The fact of the matter is that we have no knowledge of it.

There are two ways to think about this based on Bradley’s knowledge of the situation:

1. If he knew anything involving Sandusky’s crimes, there is no way he should be hired at UCLA. End of story. Mora should drop him and move on.

2. If Bradley did not know anything about the situation, he should in fact be hired at UCLA.

Do you really think Jim Mora is dumb enough to bring in someone without checking their past?

The second option seems like a given. If he did not have any knowledge, he deserves to continue doing what he loves at the highest level and escape that mess from four four years ago back at Penn State.

EVERYONE not involved deserves to escape that situation at Penn State.

But once again, we do not know and we make speculation. Some good, some bad, some not sure and need time to fully process all this information. Others, like a certain Bruin blog, automatically assume the worst and lash out at people they have no open dialogue with in regards to the hiring. They claim UCLA is “morally bankrupt”, but how moral is it to assume Bradley was involved with something they do not have first-hand knowledge of?

Look, I do not know what happened with Bradley either, which is why I tried to do as much research as possible, as well as talking to my Go Joe Bruin and UCLA colleagues about it.

November 30, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora looks on during the third quarter of the Pac-12 Championship game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

First off, do you really think Jim Mora is dumb enough to bring in someone without checking their past? There is no proof of any wrong doing by Bradley. Just because he was around during that time does not mean he is guilty by association. Mora and UCLA have no doubt taken their time and vetted Bradley’s past with a fine tooth comb.

Secondly, this would be Bradley’s third position since Penn State. After he left in 2011, he was hired by CBS and then West Virginia University. It is safe to conclude that both a media conglomerate and a respected east coast university vetted him as well.

Now that does not mean he did not have any knowledge. He could be hiding something and if any secret comes out after he is presumed to be hired, that is going to be a very bad day for UCLA. That is why, for everyone involved, it is important to look at all sides and every last detail from what is gathered. Us included.

Once again, if Bradley knew, UCLA should not touch him with a ten-foot pole. If he did not know, then he should be hired on the spot.

At this point, in regards to the hiring, it is a wait and see situation. I for one hope for the best.

Go Bruins!