With Penn set to host Cornell tonight at 7 at the P, there’s a lot of attention being paid to Steve Donahue (pictured), the Cornell coach, Delaware County native and former Penn assistant who has turned the Big Red into an Ivy League power. Cornell has won the Ivy the last two seasons, and this week the Big Red (20-3, 6-0 Ivy) are ranked No. 22 by ESPN/USA Today. Oh, they also have wins against Alabama, UMass, Saint Joe’s, St. John’s and La Salle, and they barely lost to No. 1 Kansas on the road back on Jan. 6. Which means they’re in contention for the Big 5 title with a win tonight, right?

Both the Daily News and The Inquirer published stories about Donahue today, but Keith Pompey’s report in The Inky notes that Donahue did in fact interview for the Penn job after Fran Dunphy left in 2006. He obviously didn’t get the gig, and we all know what happened from after that. Pompey, however, raises the question that’s on a lot of people’s minds with the Quakers now sitting at 3-15, 2-2 Ivy:

But what about next season?

Would he consider taking the Penn job if athletic director Steve Bilsky offers it?

“You know, when I’m in the season, it’s hard to [think about going] anywhere,” he said. “I’m so wrapped up in what we are trying to do here. It’s not something I even feel like commenting on.”

Translation: He didn’t say no.

Links: Donahue is from Philly (hint hint) [Daily News]
Donahue is from Philly, Part II (hint hint) [The Inquirer]
Photo credit: [Cornell University]