LOS ANGELES -- Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley isn't about to change his personal game plan just because coach Joe Paterno received a three-year contract extension earlier this month.

Bradley, the team's stand-in coach on the sideline the past two months of the regular season while an injured Paterno watched from upstairs, said yesterday that Paterno's new deal does not extend to the assistant coaches.

"We're still working the way we've always worked," Bradley said. "Year-to-year."

Bradley, 52, is completing his 30th season as an assistant at Penn State and has long been considered one of the leading in-house successors to replace Paterno, the winningest coach in Division I history with 383 victories.

But Bradley said the topic of a succession plan has never been broached with him.

"No, not at all," he said. "It's never bothered me. Coach, he's always kind of teasing me, telling me he's got to go until he hits three digits, then he's going to think about it. He likes what he does. He loves it. Everybody keeps bringing it up, bringing it up, and it's made it a bigger issue than it really is on our staff."

Bradley acknowledged he has been contacted for a few head coaching vacancies this year, but declined to elaborate. Temple, Illinois and Rutgers wanted him to interview for their openings in past seasons, but he declined.

"I've always been reluctant to talk about it because I don't think it's fair," he said. "... I enjoy what I do. I enjoy the people I work with. I enjoy the way coach Paterno lets us coach. We have a lot of things that he allows us to do. He lets us be ourselves and do what we have to do."

Paterno, still recuperating from hip replacement surgery last month, is uncertain if he will be able to coach from the sideline Thursday when No. 6 Penn State plays No. 5 Southern California in the Rose Bowl. If he ends up back in the coaches' booth, Bradley will be in charge for the eighth game this season.

Outside linebacker Tyrell Sales from Butler High School believes Bradley deserves a chance to be a head coach.

"His track record speaks for itself as far as the success he's had as a defensive coach," Sales said. "Personally, I think he's capable of leading the team. Does it have to be Penn State? I don't know. Is there anybody I'd like to personally see get the job when Joe finally decides to step down? Yeah. It would definitely be coach Bradley."

Bradley said, "It's not going to define me if I don't get to be a head coach." He added that if he ends up being a career assistant at Penn State, "I'd be OK with that because I'm in a great place."

Paterno is not a fan of the succession plans that have become popular.

"What do they call it now?" he asked. "Waiting coach? Coach in waiting? ... I would rather not do it that way."

Paterno has said in the past that he would prefer his replacement come from his staff, although he has never publicly endorsed a candidate.

In addition to Bradley, other in-house possibilities include linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, the one-time Maryland coach, and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

"It's never bothered me," Bradley said in reference to being named the coach in waiting. "Just because everybody else does it doesn't mean that we have to do it. We do things a little bit differently at Penn State."

Southern California offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who will match wits against Bradley's defense in the Rose Bowl, already has been hired as Washington's head coach..

"I think there's quite a few guys that want to be head coaches and strive to be head coaches, but not everybody gets that opportunity," he said.

Bradley can relate. He joked that Paterno will probably "complete the three years and then get another [contract]."