updated 8:21 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2008

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Tom Bradley is Penn State’s coach-in-waiting. Or maybe he’s not.

Although he might like to, Joe Paterno can’t coach forever. And after 30 years of loyal service and excellent work, Bradley would seem to make an obvious heir apparent to the winningest coach in major college football history.

But if anyone knows the future of Penn State football they’re not saying.

“I don’t worry about that,” the Penn State defensive coordinator said. “Everybody tries to make a big deal.

“Coach will probably go forever. I like what I do. Everybody says, ’You have to be a head coach.’ I’ve had such a great experience, great things have happened. The people that I’ve met, I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

Bradley’s Penn State roots go back more than three decades. He went from special teams captain to graduate assistant in 1979 and has been in Happy Valley ever since.

Bradley grew up in Johnstown, a western Pennsylvania mining town, as the second oldest of seven kids (three boys and four girls). His father, Jim, played basketball for Pittsburgh, but like many Irish Catholics the Bradleys’ football allegiances were to Notre Dame.

The Penn State connection started with his older brother, Jim, who played defensive back for Paterno from 1973-74. Tom played defensive back from ’77-78, and his younger brother, Matt, was a linebacker from 1979-81.

Tom Bradley was the typical overachiever.

“He wasn’t quite big enough and didn’t have the speed to be a great player,” Paterno said. “He always had leadership qualities.”

The 52-year-old Bradley coaches the way he played, intense, hard-nosed, tough, all the clichés that perfectly fit for a guy nicknamed Scrap — as in scrap iron.

During games, he’s in constant motion. His arms are waving and wind-milling as he patrols the sideline. Right before the snap, Bradley sets up like a shortstop, legs spread wide and hands on knees, ready to spring.

“Oh yeah, that’s how he is all week,” Penn State safety Anthony Scirrotto said. “It builds up Monday through Saturday. He starts off calm, as the week gets on you can feel the tension, you feel it getting closer to kickoff, it builds up. He gets everyone excited, he’s a real big key in keeping everybody up-tempo and upbeat.”

He also gets results.

No. 3 Penn State (8-0) ranks eighth in the nation in total defense (263.2 yards), heading into its Big Ten showdown Saturday against No. 10 Ohio State.

Bradley’s been in charge of the defense since 2000, when longtime coordinator Jerry Sandusky retired. Sandusky was thought to be next in line to the throne at Penn State, too, but Paterno outlasted him.

Paterno is now less than two months away from his 82nd birthday and he gives no hints about when he’ll call it quits. There are, however, signs pointing toward sooner rather than later. He doesn’t have a contract for next season, though both he and university president Graham Spanier have said Paterno could work without one.

In his 43rd season as head coach, Paterno’s been relegated to working from the press box the last three games because of a sore right hip and leg. He uses a golf cart to get around practice and doesn’t come to the locker room at halftime to address the team.

With Paterno away from the sideline, Bradley has taken the lead role among the assistants, dealing with officials and penalties and calling timeouts. He also took the lead when Paterno missed time with a broken leg two years ago.

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