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No comment from Penn on Jerome Allen rumor

A report from SportsNet New York's Adam Zagoria this morning that interim Penn coach Jerome Allen "will officially be named the program’s full-time coach before the Final Four" generated a no comment response from Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky this afternoon.

A report from SportsNet New York's Adam Zagoria this morning that interim Penn coach Jerome Allen "will officially be named the program's full-time coach before the Final Four" generated a no comment response from Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky this afternoon.

The Inquirer's Keith Pompey is also working this story, and you can expect to read more from him in tomorrow morning's paper. For now, though, I was forwarded a statement that Bilsky gave to Keith.

"We're not going to comment on the veracity of any particular blog or rumor, but the search is ongoing and will intensify during this month," Bilsky said.

You can parse that statement a lot of ways, to be sure. My conclusion, at least as of this hour, is that a deal has not been done yet. That doesn't mean one won't be done, and it doesn't mean one won't be done soon - especially since Penn's season ends tomorrow night.

I've met Zagoria before and he's a good guy, and obviously he gets tons of scoops. But just as you parsed Bilsky's quote carefully, take a close look at the quote Zagoria posted from one of his sources.

"Not only alums have gone to AD Steve Bilsky, but boosters, donors, parents and players have pledged their unconditional support," Zagoria quoted his source as saying. "They might not even interview outside candidates."

Make of all this what you will