Ben Maller's college sports rumors
by FOXSports.com
Pete Carroll has NFL options, but none of them ideal
So, with so many pro teams changing coaches -- possibly as many as three on the West Coast -- is this the right time for Pete Carroll to return to the NFL? It's nowhere near as simple as A-B-C. "I'd like to see it a different way," Carroll said of the BCS system, "but I'm not using that as an issue that frustrates me so much I would want to bail. Not at all. I don't care that much about it, and I don't give it that much regard. . . . I can't do anything about it." Unlike other years, people in NFL circles haven't been talking about Carroll this season. They respect what he's done. They know he might be a good fit in several cities. They might even be on board with his desire for top-to-bottom control of personnel decisions. But for the moment, the big fish aren't nibbling. That's not to say it won't happen. Situations can change very quickly in the NFL, and some starry-eyed owner might decide to pry open his wallet so wide that Carroll simply couldn't refuse. But Carroll is paid handsomely where he is, with a total compensation north of $4 million, and people close to him constantly insist that it's not money that would convince him to leave. -- LA Times
McNabb: Vikings Rogers should get Syracuse job
Donovan McNabb, who is on the board of trustees at Syracuse University, told the Sporting News that Minnesota Vikings assistant Kevin Rogers should be hired as the next head coach for the Orange. Rogers was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Syracuse when McNabb was a star for the Orange. "He's a guy who can recruit the East," McNabb said in the magazine's most recent edition. "He's well-known back in the East - great résumé of coaching Army, William and Mary, and being my quarterback coach and coordinator at Syracuse. You have to be able to recruit the East." -- Philadelphia Inquirer
Arizona's Mike Stoops gets vote of confidence
Mike Stoops is 23-34 in five seasons at Arizona, and he has two years left on his contract. Some of the talk about Stoops' future quieted after the Wildcats clinched a bowl berth in a 59-28 victory over Washington State on Nov. 8, but it began to swirl again after losses to Oregon and Oregon State. On Monday, Athletic Director Jim Livengood reiterated his support for his football coach. "I don't think I've ever backed off from that," Livengood said. "I don't think I've ever said anything different. I said last week, the week before, I think we've made great improvement. We need to finish games. I think I've been very consistent on that." -- Arizona Republic
UCF AD indicates football coach George O'Leary will return
UCF Athletic Director Keith Tribble of rumors George O'Leary will be forced out at the end of the year. "I expect Coach O'Leary to be our coach in 2009. I don't know of any questions about that. He and I will sit down here in the next few days and discuss the program and really discuss how we are going to make this program a consistent bowl team and a consistent Conference USA championship contender." -- Orlando Sentinel
Lane Kiffin tells Vols his dad is leaving Bucs for Tennessee
Monte Kiffin will finish the season with the Bucs, and indications are he will then waltz off to Tennessee. And Monday, nobody danced around the fact that Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator wants the end of his legendary coaching career to be a family affair. Kiffin, 68, is expected to join the Vols staff being assembled by son Lane, who was introduced Monday as the University of Tennessee coach. Lane Kiffin met with his players for 41 minutes Sunday night and informed them his famous father would be joining the Vols' staff. But the younger Kiffin would not reveal specifics about his coaching staff at his news conference. -- St. Petersburg Times
Tim Tebow nearly chose Alabama over UF
The night before national signing day in February 2006, Florida coach Urban Meyer was resigned to the fact that he would be missing out on his most desired recruit, quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow spent 14 hours that day not with Meyer, but with Alabama coach Mike Shula. Meyer was in Pennsylvania, recruiting other players and devising Plan B, which was to continue focusing his efforts on current Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead. "We were behind most of the time in the recruiting effort," Meyer said. "I had convinced myself that if we lose him, we'll still be OK." But Greg Mattison, then Meyer's defensive line coach, wouldn't let Meyer give up his pursuit of Tebow, one of the nation's top recruits. "He says, 'Do you realize if we don't get Tim, that will set the program back 10 years?' " Meyer said. "I didn't talk to (Mattison) the rest of the trip, but he's right. That's how important Tim is." Tebow did become a Gator the next day, and he's the main reason why the No. 2 Gators are headed to the Georgia Dome on Saturday for a showdown with No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. -- Palm Beach Post
Sooners Harris could move to outside linebacker
Coach Bob Stoops said Monday the Sooners will probably work two combinations in practice this week to replace middle linebacker Austin Box, who will miss the Big 12 Championship with a sprained knee. One is to insert junior-college transfer Mike Balogun into the starting lineup at middle linebacker. Balogun played well in roughly 10 snaps in place of Box last Saturday. The other is to move strong safety Nic Harris to weak-side linebacker, and bump Travis Lewis over to the middle. That would open the way for Quinton Carter to move into the lineup at strong safety. -- Oklahoman
Gophers coach to get extension?
For recruiting purposes, don't be surprised if Gophers football coach Tim Brewster's contract, which has three years remaining, is extended in January, but with a buyout clause for more than the existing $400,000. -- Pioneer Press
A Harris Interactive poll head-scratcher
Some have questioned the validity of the Harris Interactive poll, which has had a spotty run in its four years as being part of the BCS. The skepticism could be valid. True story from the Boone Pickens Stadium pressbox Saturday night. I asked Harris poll voter Pat Quinn, the former Oklahoma State University sports information director, how he would vote OU and Texas if the Sooners won Saturday night. "Oh, I don't know," Quinn said. "Doesn't really matter." Really? "I think Alabama and Penn State will probably play for the national championship," Quinn said. You do? "They're the only undefeated teams, aren't they," Quinn said. Uh, actually, Penn State has a loss. "Oh well," Quinn said, "those Big Ten teams have a lot of votes." -- Oklahoman
Carroll: USC will wear home jersey on road against UCLA
USC Coach Pete Carroll is so intent on restoring a colorful tradition to the crosstown rivalry with UCLA, he is willing to give up two timeouts to do it. Carroll said on Monday that the Trojans would wear cardinal jerseys on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, violating an NCAA rule that requires visiting teams to wear white jerseys. The last time the Trojans and the Bruins both wore home jerseys was in 1982 when the schools shared the Coliseum. "I just thought it was a really cool tradition," Carroll said. "The spectacle of it." Carroll said he wanted to restore the tradition with a surprise move early in his tenure, but thought better of it. He does not regard it as a sign of disrespect to UCLA and said he is not concerned that the Trojans could be adversely affected by losing a timeout in each half. "I don't care about it right now," he said. "I think it's the fun thing to do, and I think the fans will appreciate it over time." -- LA Times
ACC targets Tampa to rejuvenate title game
Understanding that matchups are out of the league's control, the ACC hatched a new marketing plan this year -- The Road to Tampa Bay -- spearheaded by Michael Kelly, the chief organizer of three Florida-based Super Bowls and a men's Final Four in Tampa. He joined the ACC as an associate commissioner last year, brought in to essentially fix the league's championship game. Working with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Kelly has focused on more local promotion, especially at the grassroots level (think youth football), cheaper tickets, more consistency in the look and feel of promotional materials and a greater buy-in from each of the ACC's 12 schools, which range geographically from Miami to Boston College. "We've got to get to the point where we're not so matchup sensitive," Kelly said. "We've got a much more aggressive approach and we've also got a new community, which gives us a chance to bring the brand to them and better educate them." "When you really look at it, this game is still in its infancy," said John Swofford, the ACC's commissioner. "We're looking for the right fit for our league as this game develops, whether it's one site or a rotation." After two years in Tampa, the game moves to Charlotte for 2010 and 2011. "By then, we'll have seven years to evaluate," Swofford said. "The success in Tampa and Charlotte will have a lot to do with the future of the game." -- Sports Business Journal
Tommy Bowden to Miss State?
Mississippi State has retained the consulting firm Neinas Sports Services to advise on the search for Croom's replacement, which could take several weeks. Several current head coaches, including Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley, Boise State's Chris Peterson and TCU's Gary Patterson have been rumored as possibilities, as has former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden, among others. -- Mobile Press-Register
Washington State tries to sack Washington's request for Husky stadium money
Bringing the Apple Cup rivalry to the political arena, a group of Washington State University alumni urged state lawmakers Monday to scuttle a University of Washington request for $150 million in tax money toward a Husky Stadium renovation. The WSU boosters told a legislative task force that the stadium request was a poor use of taxpayer money, given the state's budget problems. And, of course, it also would give the UW an unfair advantage when it comes to football recruiting. Those arguments drew angry responses from a prominent UW booster who called the WSU group "fools" and from a Seattle legislator who labeled them "provincial." -- Seattle Times
Mike Stoops feels pressure to beat Arizona State
Aside from loathing each other, Arizona and Arizona State each has its reasons for wanting to win the Territorial Cup on Saturday. For the Sun Devils (5-6, 4-4 Pac-10), a victory would bring a minor bowl berth and slap a happy face on an otherwise ugly season. For Arizona (6-5, 4-4), a victory would end a frustrating, three-game losing streak to its archrival and provide further evidence of the once-decrepit program's growth under coach Mike Stoops. "It continues the process, whether it's more credibility or a winning record or beating your rival - there's a lot there," Stoops said. -- Arizona Republic
Who Knew?
Unless UCLA can pull off a major upset Saturday at the Rose Bowl, Rick Neuheisel & Co. will end the season without a victory over a winning team.-- LA Times
Ex-Iowa State coach Dan McCarney candidate at Toledo
One of the candidates to be the next University of Toledo head football coach is helping prepare Florida to compete in this weekend's Southeastern Conference championship game. Dan McCarney, who was the head coach at Iowa State for 12 seasons, is in his first year as the Gators' defensive line coach. No. 2 Florida plays No. 1 Alabama on Saturday in the Georgia Dome for the SEC title. UT is thought to have interest in McCarney, 55, and he has also been mentioned as a possible associate head coach to Bill Snyder at Kansas State. McCarney acknowledged on Sunday he has been hearing his name in reports about job openings, but wouldn't discuss any of the specific positions. -- Toledo Blade
Washington asking about Bearcats Kelly?
University of Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly confirmed Monday night that the University of Washington has contacted his attorney about its vacant head coaching job, but Kelly said he has not been offered the job, nor does he have an interview scheduled this week, contrary to reports out of Seattle. "We have not reciprocated," Kelly said. "I do not have an interview scheduled this week." Asked if he had one scheduled for next week, after UC completes its regular season at Hawaii on Saturday, Kelly said, "I don't have anything right now." -- Cincinnati Enquirer
Source: Mumme out at New Mexico State
New Mexico State University is expected to announce the firing of head football coach Hal Mumme at a press conference today. A high-ranking official at NMSU who requested anonymity confirmed Monday afternoon that Mumme has been fired after four years on the job. The source said Mumme was notified on Monday and a search for a new coach is under way. The same source said the school hopes to have a coach in place by mid-December or close to that mark, and added that Athletics Director McKinley Boston will be on the road this week seeking out prospective head coaches. -- Las Cruces Sun-News
Utah's Whittingham up for Huskies job?
Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Gary Andersen are keeping mum on rumors and speculation that their coaching futures could involve teams other than the Utes. Whittingham, who is considered a strong candidate for the Washington job, and Andersen, one of the favorites for the Utah State position, both declined to comment Monday regarding their futures. -- Salt Lake Tribune
Limited Irish bowl options in limbo
Bernie Olivas isn't fazed by the dents in the mystique, the wobbly status of the head coach or even the Gerry Faust-ish 6-6 record. If Louisville upsets Rutgers Thursday night and opens a window for the Sun Bowl to invite the Notre Dame football team, the Irish are still the overwhelming favorites to end up in El Paso, Texas, for a Dec. 31 matchup likely with Oregon State (8-4). That would mean the Sun selecting ND over an 8-3 Pitt team, that beat the Irish in quadruple overtime, and West Virginia (7-4). -- South Bend Tribune
UCLA campus will be a bit less peppy this week
The buzz surrounding the USC-UCLA rivalry won't be quite as loud in Westwood this week, with students and alumni barred from holding their traditional pregame pep rally. University policy prohibits any large-scale or amplified events on campus during the week before the official start of final exams, a spokeswoman said. Administrators could not say the last time the pep rally was skipped. They tried to compensate by holding a celebration before the Bruins' homecoming game against Stanford in October, but some fans are not satisfied. Especially not with USC having its rally Thursday night. -- LA Times
Tuberville meets with Auburn president and AD
An Auburn publicist said coach Tommy Tuberville met with athletic director Jay Jacobs and university president Jay Gogue on Monday morning. The topic was straightforward: The football program's declining health and the coach's plan to reverse that trend. Tuberville spent Monday afternoon waiting for feedback that never materialized. ``Further conversations between (Jacobs) and Coach Tuberville will take place in the following days to discuss Coach Tuberville's plan to make improvements for the program moving forward under his leadership," media relations director Kirk Sampson said in a release. -- Montgomery Advertiser
Ex-player from Wisconsin with mental illness charged with threats to Alvarez
Leonard Taylor, a University of Wisconsin defensive back from 1995-'98, threatened in voicemail messages to kill UW athletic director Barry Alvarez, according to a criminal complaint released Monday. Taylor, 32, of Indianapolis, also threatened to kill tennis player Maria Sharapova. According to the criminal complaint: Taylor left dozens of voicemail messages with the UW athletic department within the last week. Those messages included a call Nov. 24 during which he said he would come to Madison to kill Alvarez and his family. "I'll kill you first, mother (expletive)," Taylor said. "I've got 24 (expletive) hours, mother (expletive). I'm coming for your (expletive) ass. You might have a (expletive) war." Taylor's father, Leonard Taylor Sr., told Madison police his son has been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic; stopped taking his medication about three months ago; has stopped seeing his therapist; and has refused treatment. Taylor, the starting strong safety on UW's 1999 Rose Bowl championship team, was arrested Friday in Indiana. -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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