Currie: Tennessee ‘carefully interviewed’ Greg Schiano

(TNS) — Tennessee “carefully interviewed and vetted” potential coaching hire Greg Schiano, athletic director John Currie said a statement Monday.

The Vols reportedly had a deal in place with the Ohio State defensive coordinator on Sunday morning. But the deal fell through by the end of the day after intense backlash from the fan base, state representatives and local business owners.

“We carefully interviewed and vetted him, as we do candidates for all positions,” Currie said in the statement. “He received the highest recommendations for character, family values and commitment to academic achievement and student-athlete welfare from his current and former athletics directors, players, coaching colleagues and experienced media figures.”

Much of the uproar after USA TODAY reported that Schiano was in line to be the next Tennessee coach stemmed from his time on the staff at Penn State in the early 1990s. Schiano spent five seasons in Happy Valley, four as the defensive backs coach on the staff of convicted child sexual abuser Jerry Sandusky.

Testimony released in 2016 brought Schiano’s name into the fray, as former Penn State staffer Mike McQueary testified that fellow assistant Tom Bradley told McQueary that Schiano was aware of a child sexual abuse incident by Sandusky, who was Penn State’s defensive coordinator.

Schiano and Bradley denied having knowledge or witnessing any of Sandusky’s abuse.

Currie said the Vols dug into Schiano’s past, including his term at Penn State.

“Coach Schiano worked at Penn State from 1990-1995,” Currie said. “Consequently, we, of course, carefully reviewed the 2012 investigation report by Louis Freeh. Coach Schiano is not mentioned in the Freeh report and was not one of the more than 400 people interviewed in the investigation. We also confirmed that Coach Schiano was never deposed and never asked to testify in any criminal or civil matter. And we conferred with our colleagues at The Ohio State University, who had conducted a similar inquiry after the 2016 release of testimony. I know that Coach Schiano will continue to have great success in his coaching career and wish him and his family well.”

Currie praised Schiano’s coaching accomplishments, which include more than a decade at Rutgers in the early 2000s. He won 11 games in 2006 at the long-slumping program, winning national coach of the year awards for bringing back one of the oldest college football programs.

But he won’t get the opportunity to revitalize the Tennessee program after Sunday, as Currie and his coworkers are now searching for other candidates.

“I am grateful for your patience as our search for the next leader for the Tennessee football program continues, and I look forward to making that introduction soon,” Currie said.

“As we began our search for our next head football coach earlier this month, I promised that I would pour all my energy and effort into this process,” Currie said in his statement.

“I have followed Coach Schiano’s accomplishments throughout his career and have been fortunate to get to know him and his family over the last several years.”

As reported by the media, he was a leading candidate for our position. Among the most respected professional and college football coaches, he is widely regarded as an outstanding leader who develops tough, competitive teams and cares deeply about his student-athletes.

“We carefully interviewed and vetted him, as we do candidates for all positions. He received the highest recommendations for character, family values and commitment to academic achievement and student-athlete welfare from his current and former athletics directors, players, coaching colleagues and experienced media figures.

“Coach Schiano worked at Penn State from 1990-1995. Consequently, we, of course, carefully reviewed the 2012 investigation report by Louis Freeh. Coach Schiano is not mentioned in the Freeh report and was not one of the more than 400 people interviewed in the investigation. We also confirmed that Coach Schiano was never deposed and never asked to testify in any criminal or civil matter. And, we conferred with our colleagues at The Ohio State University, who had conducted a similar inquiry after the 2016 release of testimony. I know that Coach Schiano will continue to have great success in his coaching career and wish him and his family well.

“I am grateful for your patience as our search for the next leader for the Tennessee football program continues, and I look forward to making that introduction soon.”