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Bower, Scelfo on list at USA
Jags start search for first football coach Saturday, January 05, 2008
By KIM SHUGARTSports Reporter
Former Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower and former Tulane coach Chris Scelfo have been interviewed by University of South Alabama athletics director Joe Gottfried for the Jaguars' football job.
Gottfried confirmed Friday that Bower and Scelfo were in Mobile earlier this week to discuss the USA job.
"We have been talking to a lot of people and they were the first two we have met with here," Gottfried said. "These were very informal meetings to see what their interests were and their thoughts about the program.
"There was a lot of good dialogue and communication, but it's just the initial stage of the search."
Gottfried also said he is trying to set up a meeting with Mississippi State offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey.
"I have spoken to coach McCorvey on the phone and would like to meet with him," Gottfried said of the former Alabama assistant coach. "We plan on talking with several coaches about the position because we're interested in what they're thinking."
Gottfried added he also has spoken with former Miami Hurricanes national championship coach Larry Coker. Those discussions took place during Coker's visit to Mobile for a 1st-and-10 Club meeting.
Bower spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Southern Miss before he was forced to resign on Nov. 26. He finished his USM career with a 119-83-1 record, making him the second-winningest coach in school history. He won four Conference USA championships and ended his tenure with 14 consecutive winning seasons.
Scelfo was 37-57 in eight years at Tulane, leading the Green Wave to the 2002 Hawaii Bowl. Before taking over the Tulane post, he was an assistant coach at Georgia for three years and at Marshall for six years.
Gottfried said he has been surprised by the number of coaches who have expressed interest in USA's decision to start a football program.
"I've been impressed with the caliber of people who have called about the position, especially because it's a program that's just beginning," Gottfried said. "The position that many of the coaches have held and the experience they've had in college coaching is really impressive.
"The coaching search is progressing and it could move a little faster if we wanted it to, but we're in no rush here. Our target date to fill the position is still the first or second week in February."
The Jaguars will not field a team until the 2009 season. The plan calls for the hiring of a head coach and four or five assistants this year, then beginning the recruiting process. The first players will be signed in February 2009.