Less than a week after getting canned by Kansas, Turner Gill is reportedly in the running to get right back on that head-coaching horse.
According to the Birmingham News, Gill is one of a group of finalists for the UAB head-coaching job that also includes Auburn running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Curtis Luper, Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, former Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and Houston offensive coordinator Jason Phillips. A total of eight coaches interviewed for the position at various points this week in Atlanta, the News reported.
The job could be offered to one of the gaggle of candidates as soon as this weekend or, possibly, early next week.
Gill is certainly the most experienced, at least as far as head coaching experience goes, of those under consideration. After two seasons and a 5-19 record at Kansas, which was preceded by four years at Buffalo as the MAC school’s head coach, Gill was fired Sunday. He certainly wouldn’t need the money that would come with the Blazers job -- which, to be blunt, wouldn’t be much, relatively speaking; Neil Callaway, who “resigned” the day after Gill was fired, made “just” 446,800 in 2011 -- as he was owed some $6 million for the remaining three years on his KU contract and the school said it will fulfill the terms of that contract.
Of the other finalists, only McGee has been mentioned in connection to other vacancies. The Razorbacks coordinator interviewed for the FAU opening last week, although that job may be filled by another candidate in short order; it was reported Thursday night that Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini has been offered the position and is expected to accept the offer.
Interestingly, McGee replaced Paul Petrino, another UAB candidate, as UA’s coordinator after head coach Bobby Petrino’s brother left for the Illini.