UCLA’s Scout.com site reported last night one of West Virginia’s three defensive line coaches is the leading candidate to become UCLA’s defensive coordinator.

In fact, sources have told us that vetting Bradley because of his association with Penn State is the reason the official hiring has taken some time. It’s still, according to sources, under the scrutiny of Chancellor Block, and the submission could be rescinded at anytime by Mora. But a source close to the situation said, “It’s pretty far down the line that it’s Bradley.”

Should this happen, it’s a neat conclusion for Bradley and for WVU. No messes, no hard feelings. Either Bradley or Damon Cogdell was going to be displaced on the current WVU staff, and the thought all along was it would be Bradley. WVU doesn’t have to maneuver the respected Bradley and Bradley doesn’t have to coach H-backs and tight ends, provided that was a possibility and he didn’t want to. But something like that was definitely on the table.

Bradley instead gets to run a defense with a roster of talented players. UCLA was also one of a small number of schools interested in Bradley after Penn State and before he took the WVU job. That has to mean something to him, as well.

It’s very quiet on my end, which tends to happen when one school steps aside to let another announce a hire.