DALLAS — Penn State insists it doesn’t have a leading candidate in its nearly two-month long search for a football coach.

USA Today and ESPN reported Sunday that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is the top contender for the Nittany Lions job.

At a Penn State pep rally Sunday outside the Cotton Bowl, Acting Athletic Director David Joyner cut off a reporter’s question about the reports and said, “No, don’t believe anything you read in the newspapers.

“I was taught that long time ago.”

He answered “No,” when asked if anyone could be classified as a leading candidate.

The program has been without a permanent head coach since Nov. 9, when university trustees fired Hall of Famer Joe Paterno in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.