Nebraska close to ending coaching search

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson reportedly is winding up his search for a new head football coach. But the name of Frank Solich's successor remains the state's biggest mystery.

The Omaha World-Herald, citing two anonymous sources, reported that Pederson would have his one-man search completed by the end of this weekend.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no news conference had been scheduled, athletic department spokeswoman Chris Anderson said. Anderson said Pederson would have no comment on the World-Herald report or on the search itself.

Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl.

Media reports have connected no fewer than a dozen current or former NFL head coaches or assistants to the job.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders is the name that keeps popping up. Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, when asked Tuesday whether Saunders would interview for the Nebraska job, said "possibly."

If Pederson would want to introduce Saunders this weekend, Saunders' schedule would allow it. The Chiefs' first playoff game isn't until Jan. 11.

Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci's name also has been bandied, but the problem is, he is only one year into a five-year, $25 million contract.

A name that is surfacing again is that of Steve Spurrier, who resigned from the Washington Redskins on Tuesday. Spurrier's name was one of the first floated after Pederson fired Solich on Nov. 29 after a 9-3 regular season.

But Spurrier denied then -- and again Tuesday -- that he had any interest in Nebraska.

Talking heads on bowl telecasts have thrown out a couple more names of possible candidates out of the college ranks -- Arkansas' Houston Nutt and South Carolina's Lou Holtz.

Not that Pederson will poll the state, but there appears to be strong support among the Cornhusker faithful for interim coach Bo Pelini.

Pelini was considered a rising star when he came to Nebraska as defensive coordinator last December.

A number of fans wore "Bo 2004" baseball caps at the Alamo Bowl on Monday, and a vociferous throng chanted "We want Bo" as he accepted the bowl championship trophy after the 17-3 win over Michigan State.

The players also appear unified in their support of Pelini.

"We want him to be our head coach," safety Josh Bullocks said. "He's excellent. We were playing for him and all the other coaches on the staff."

Pelini said the coaching staff and players formed a stronger bond in the last month. Pelini said the team could have fractured because of the fallout of Solich's firing, but that didn't happen.

So now Pelini, the assistants and the players wait for Pederson to announce his decision.

"We hope it's Bo," said cornerback Lornell McPherson, "but the way things have been around here, you never know what's going to happen."