Did Alleged Role In Sex Abuse Case Cost Wyckoff Coach New Job?

WYCKOFF, NJ — It seemed like a done deal — until it wasn't.

The University of Tennessee was all set to hire Greg Schiano, the once-beloved Rutgers head coach was all set to, according to several reports Sunday.

Then, a few hours later, reports surfaced that Tennessee had backed out of the deal.

The university backed out of a memorandum of understanding with Schiano, a township native and defensive coordinator with the Ohio State Buckeyes, because of his alleged connection to Jerry Sandusky and the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, ESPN reported.

A rock at Tennessee's campus had the words "Schiano covered up child rape at Penn State" painted on it Sunday after news of Schiano's then-pending hiring broke, ESPN reported. Schiano was an assistant coach under the late, and legendary, Penn State coach Joe Paterno while Sandusky worked under Paterno.

Schiano has denied knowing of any child abuse by Sandusky, according to the ESPN report.

Schiano coached at Rutgers for 11 seasons and the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons. Tampa Bay went 11-21 during Schiano's tenure.

Tennessee and college football fans expressed their displeasure, and later praise, of the hire and subsequent backing out, on Twitter Sunday night

Congrats to Tennessee fans for torpedoing the Greg Schiano hire. Would have been a disaster. Sick of incompetent administration making idiotic hires. Many better candidates available. Zero reason to hire Schiano.

I’m just going to say this if we hire Greg Schiano as our next head coach my options will be open to which college program I will Be donating my TIME and MONEY to. (No disrespect to GS) but if UT leaders don’t take football serious then I will find the program that will!!!

— Albert Haynesworth (@haynesworthiii) November" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/hayneswort... 26, 2017

Did we just save our program from Greg Schiano?

Tennessee has the greatest fan base of all time.

— Vol Herald (@VolHerald) November" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/VolHerald/... 26, 2017

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Photo: Former Rutgers football head coach, now Ohio State associate head coach/defensive coordinator, Greg Schiano running onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Rutgers in Piscataway. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, file)