But Bradley is quick to make this point clear: Paterno is still in charge.

“He’s right there on the headset,” Bradley said. “The only difference is that when he’s on the field and he wants to get you, he’s right there. When he’s in the box and he’s yelling, you can always pretend you didn’t here what he said. ’Hey coach you’re breaking up.’

“But he is there. It would be better if he was on the field with us.”

Bradley describes Penn State as a family. His own family has gotten smaller. He lost his younger brother, mother and father during a span of about 20 months, starting in 2001. Matt Bradley was 43 when he died of heart failure.

“It was a rough time,” Bradley said.

He’s never married — he’s been dating a woman for about a year and a half — but brushes off the idea that he’s married to his job.

“I figure God has a plan for you,” he said. “Whenever it happens, it happens.”

He talks about how “blessed” he’s been, how lucky he is to work for Paterno.

“Never, ever in front of the players is he critical of you,” Bradley said. “(The assistant coaches) have a lot of autonomy with what we do.”

Bradley said he’s had chances to move on, even talked to Paterno about a couple of opportunities.

“I think you look and then you kind of have to follow your heart,” Bradley said, then quotes a psalm. “Search your own heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of your life.”

If Penn State were to pick Bradley as Paterno’s successor, it would be a hit with many in the Penn State family.

“No one knows the Penn State way better than Coach Bradley,” said former Nittany Lions linebacker Paul Posluszny, now with the Buffalo Bills.

Paterno has said he wants his replacement to come from within. And what coach would want to come to Penn State and replace the legend, anyway?

Still, while Bradley is the emotional leader of the Nittany Lions, he’s far more Xs and Os than CEO. There are others on staff who might better fit that mold, such as linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, who has head coaching experience.

Then there’s defensive line coach Larry Johnson, whose success recruiting the mid-Atlantic region helped Penn State rebound from three losing seasons from 2000-04.

Then again, maybe Paterno will outlast them all. Who knows?

“It’s not going to define me if I don’t get to be a head coach,” Bradley said. “Sometimes you’re in a pretty good situation.”

Also on NBCSports.com Rosenthal: Steelers’ struggles could sink their playoff hopes Circling the Bases: Dodgers unlikely to land Halladay Inside the Irish: Clausen reportedly involved in fight Opinion: So far, Nowitzki is NBA’s MVP  |  Fan Ranker Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Penn State in BCS picture CFT: Michigan St. players allegedly part of ‘mass assault’   Weis turning focus to finale at Stanford   Kelly says job speculation not a problem CFT: ‘By the Numbers’ — LSU batting .467 Out of Bounds: Easy win for Ole Miss over KKK CFT: Kentucky’s Brooks irate over retirement talk CFT: USC’s leading WR doubtful to play vs. UCLA CFT: FSU’s top lineman probably out vs. Florida CFT: Buyout an obstacle to firing Friedgen? College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: