When Joe Paterno first learned of a report that said he would soon retire and be replaced by one of his assistants as head coach of the Penn State football program, he had a question for the man who was supposedly his successor.

"I said, 'Tom, whatta ya doin'?' I got a call today telling me some radio [station] said I was retiring, and [Penn State defensive coordinator] Tom Bradley is the new head coach," Paterno said jokingly to listeners of his weekly call-in radio show.

"He said, 'I'm giving all the assistants a raise.' "

Paterno had a laugh about it then, but yesterday afternoon, Nittany Nation was chaotically abuzz with talk that the 77-year-old coach, who has come under criticism lately for his team's poor performance, might be set to retire.

It all stemmed from a topic breached during a morning talk show aired on the Pittsburgh-based Fox Sports Radio WBGG-AM (970).

Former Penn State football player Leo Wisniewski, a weekly guest on the network's 7 a.m. radio show In the Locker Room, said on-air yesterday morning that Paterno would soon announce his retirement and name Bradley his successor. He said he had heard this from a "reliable source."

Wisniewski and hosts Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley also discussed the possibility that Paterno had met earlier this week with members of the Penn State Board of Trustees, at which time he was told to name a successor.

By 1 p.m. yesterday, though, the Penn State athletic department issued a press release saying the report by Fox Sports Radio was "unfounded and untrue."

"The meeting described in the radio report did not occur," the release stated. "The Board of Trustees has not met since mid-September."

In a telephone interview, Penn State Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson said the athletic department also denied the report that a successor has been named.

It also denied any contact whatsoever between Paterno and the Board of Trustees, Nelson added.

Soon after the athletic department press release had been issued, the radio station published a statement on the homepage of its Web site, supporting some of the statements made on the network's 7 a.m. radio show.

The statement said that Wisniewski and the hosts' comments were "introduced during the show as a rumor."

According to Fox Sports Radio Program Director Bob McLaughlin, Wisniewski reported on-air that he was informed that a plan for Paterno's succession had been implemented and would move forward "sooner rather than later."

Several trustees contacted yesterday would not confirm or deny the occurrence of a meeting this week with Paterno.

"I wasn't involved in a meeting," trustee Keith Eckel said. "I'm not saying there wasn't one, but I wasn't at a meeting."

Gateway High School Athletic Director Terry Smith, the stepfather of Justin King, one of the Nittany Lions' top high school recruiting targets this year, said he had heard "absolutely nothing" about a plan for Bradley to succeed Paterno as head coach.

Bradley is the assistant coach assigned to the recruitment of King, whom many recruiting services regard as the top high school cornerback in the country.

"I would think they would tell me if there was something going on," Smith said.

He added that Bradley did not inform him of any succession plan when he spoke to him around 9 a.m. yesterday.

Smith said he planned to call the football program about the report, but he said, "Even if there is something going on, I don't know if they'd tell me."

King will announce his college choice at 7 p.m. Monday at Gateway High School, outside of Pittsburgh. He is expected to choose between Penn State, University of Michigan, Ohio State University and University of Florida.

Penn State President Graham Spanier said Wednesday that he would not grant interviews regarding the Penn State football program until after the season.

Athletic Director Tim Curley, who was out of town, could not be reached for comment yesterday.