Jay Leno Talks Tonight Show News: "I Had a Really Awkward Day Today"

When he took The Tonight Showstage on Wednesday, Jay Leno openly addressed that he wouldn't be heading the show that much longer.

"I got to be honest with you, I had a really awkward day today," Leno said in his monologue. "I had to call David Letterman and tell him he didn't get The Tonight Show again. Awful! Terrible!"

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The monologue closely echoed Letterman's remarks on his show Wednesday when he said he received a call from his mother expressing her disappointment that, once again, her son had been passed over for the gig.  Although Leno only had kind words for his successor, Jimmy Fallon, he still kept the punches rolling at his soon-to-be-former-employers, NBC. "I want to congratulate our good friend Jimmy Fallon! He is a hell of a guy! He's going to do a great job," Leno said. "I have just one request for Jimmy: We've all fought, kicked and scratched, to get this network up to fifth place, now we have to keep it there! Jimmy, don't let it slip into sixth!"

Leno also took a (slight) jab at NBC's plan to have Leno retire while he's still on top of his game, saying that the network had already named Fallon's successor. "Like NBC says in five years they plan to replace Jimmy with Justin Bieber," he joked. "They are moving too quickly! Moving too quickly!"

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Leno also took the time to announce his surprising next gig before moving on to other topics of the day. "Today I accepted a new position; I am going to be the head basketball coach at Rutgers University," Leno said in reference to the college sports scandal, in which the Rutgers coach was fired after videotape of him throwing basketballs at his players and verbally assaulting them surfaced online. Here at TVGuide.com, we also had a few ideas about what Leno should do next.

Elsewhere on NBC, Fallon was thankful, but brief, when it came to address his big promotion. "This is Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ... for now. You guys probably heard the news — I'm going to be taking over the Tonight Show next February! But don't worry. Until February, our focus is right here on whatever this show is called."

Added Fallon: "I want to thank everyone here at Late Night, the staff, the crew, and of course The Roots. I have to say thanks to Jay Leno for being so gracious. It means so much to me to have his support."

What do you think of Leno and Fallon's comments? What should Leno do next?