Reports claim Koetter accepts OSU coaching job

(Pictured: Boise State coach Dirk Koetter celebrates his teams Big West Conference championship. Koetter is widely regarded as the leading candidate for the OSU coaching job.) By

Tuesday, November 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Pictured: Boise State coach Dirk Koetter celebrates his teams Big West Conference championship. Koetter is widely regarded as the leading candidate for the OSU coaching job.)

By Sean Mossman

How close is Oklahoma State to finding its next head football coach?

According to several media outlets in Oklahoma and Idaho, the school has already found him.

One radio station in Oklahoma City has quoted sources close to the search committee as saying that Boise State coach Dirk Koetter has accepted a contract to be the next OSU head coach.

An confidential source confirmed those reports to The Sports on Six Thursday.

An official announcement of the hiring is expected Friday or Saturday and a press conference could come Tuesday.

Efforts to reach both Koetter and OSU Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips were unsuccessful.

Koetter announced that he was eliminating himself as a candidate for the job back on November 19th. Then, just six days later, Koetter formally interviewed with Phillips.

Since Tuesday, it was widely reported that the job was Koetter's "to accept or turn down."

Following his visit with Phillips, Koetter traveled with his wife to Dallas were he met with Arizona State athletic director Gene Smith about that schools vacant head coaching position.

â€œI have talked to Arizona State, and I have talked to Oklahoma State since I took my name out a week ago,â€ Koetter told the Idaho Statesman Monday.

Reports out of Phoenix Thursday quote sources as saying that Koetter was the Sun Devils "third or fourth choice."

Koetter was set to coach Boise State in next months Humanitarian Bowl as the Big West champions. He has 25 wins and two conference championships in three seasons since taking over for current Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.

Koetterâ€™s contract calls for a $10,000 payment to Boise State if he should leave before 2002.

It is assumed by many that Koetter would not coach the Broncos in the bowl game.

In fact, a Boise radio station reports that Boise State has already interviewed two different assistant coaches for the head coaching job. One of those interviewed is former OSU player Brent Guy.

Phillips was reportedly in Dallas Wednesday interviewing Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach Les Miles and former OSU quarterback Mike Gundy.

It was reported after the interviews that Gundy would be named coach of the Cowboys if Koetter turned down the job.

No press conference has been called to announce Koetter as the new head coach and OSU officials have refused to respond to questions about the hiring.