College Football Capsules: Derek Dooley: Can't ask for more than Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Derek Dooley has the Southern accent, the coaching pedigree and is doing his best to reassure Tennessee fans their new coach appreciates where he’s working.

"How can you ask for anything more than the University of Tennessee?" Dooley said Friday.

The son of longtime Georgia coach Vince Dooley was introduced as the Vols’ second new head coach in 14 months, replacing Lane Kiffin days after he bolted for Southern California. Among his first challenges will be reassuring fans and players that he wants to be at Tennessee.

"The times of worrying about what happened is over," Dooley said.

Dooley talked about how he learned early that Tennessee represented the essence of college football, and remembers watching the weekly television shows of former coaches Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. He also promised he will not try to sell Tennessee in a sound bite, perhaps taking a shot at Kiffin, who was reprimanded by the Southeastern Conference for brash comments.

"Everything we’re going to do is going to be done with a foundation of integrity with every aspect of the program," Dooley said. "We’re going to represent this institution with class on and off the field."

Dooley was offered the job late Friday afternoon, resigned as coach and athletic director of Louisiana Tech, and flew into Knoxville for the late news conference. He brings along a son with a name popular in Tennessee — Peyton — just like Kiffin, who named his young son Knox after taking the Vols’ job in December 2008.

"I am finally happy to be in a state where Peyton will be well received," Dooley said of his 8-year-old son, whose name conjures memories of Vols’ star and four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning.

Like his predecessor, Dooley comes with a short head coaching resume.

He went 17-20 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech and was the only coach in major college football to also serve as the athletic director. He holds a law degree and previously worked for several years under Nick Saban at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins.

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said Dooley agreed that coaching the Vols is a destination job. He praised him for a five-year tutelage under Saban and for helping the current Alabama coach land two No. 1 recruiting classes at LSU.

"I’ve talked to a number of folks over the past 24 hours," Hamilton said. "He’s been described as very intelligent, intense, disciplined, hard-nosed, a tenacious recruiter, a family guy and extremely well-organized."

The Volunteers introduced him three nights after Kiffin abruptly quit, bolting to USC only 14 months into his tenure with the Vols. Dooley was hired from a list of candidates believed to include Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Duke coach David Cutcliffe and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

Dooley’s limited head coaching experience — like Kiffin, whose only head coaching stint had been a brief, bad one with the Oakland Raiders — makes him a risky pick. But the new coach’s uncle, former North Carolina and Virginia Tech coach Bill Dooley, voiced his support.

"He’ll do well anywhere he goes, and at Tennessee, he would do very well," Bill Dooley said in a phone interview from his home in Wilmington, N.C. "When you get a law degree, it gives you a little notch up. He’s got his feet on the ground. He’s levelheaded.

Dooley’s father coached at rival Georgia from 1964-88 and won the 1980 national title. He did not return a call to his cell phone seeking comment, but his son said his father is excited.

Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker said some players might have considered transferring if they weren’t impressed with their new coach. After meeting with Dooley just minutes before he was introduced to the media, they seemed satisfied with their new leader.

"He reaffirmed everything that they wanted to come to Tennessee for," Walker said. "He said he wants to embrace the tradition. He says he wants to be a really good coach here."

Dooley worked as LSU’s recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach from 2000 through 2003’s signing day, landing classes rated No. 1 in 2001 and ‘03. He coached LSU’s running backs and special teams in 2003-04, followed Saban to the Dolphins as tight ends coach in 2005, and left for Louisiana Tech in December 2006.

Dooley was a receiver in college at Virginia. After earning his law degree from Georgia, he worked as an attorney for two years before starting his coaching career at Georgia in 1996 as a graduate assistant. He also worked as assistant recruiting coordinator at SMU from 1997-99.

He went to Louisiana Tech as one of the youngest coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision and added the athletic director title in March 2008. Dooley led the Bulldogs to their first bowl victory in more than three decades, beating Northern Illinois in the 2008 Independence Bowl.

"We are grateful for the contributions that Derek made to Louisiana Tech Athletics and we wish him luck in his new position," Louisiana Tech President Dan Reneau said.

Georgia finally lands its D-man, Todd Grantham

ATLANTA — Georgia endured plenty of rejection in its search for a new defensive coordinator. The Bulldogs finally got someone to take the job Friday, and insisted he was the right man all along.

Todd Grantham, who coaches defensive linemen for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, agreed to a three-year contract worth $750,000 annually to end a search that began six weeks ago and included several high-profile misses.

Among those turning down the Bulldogs: Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster, LSU’s John Chavis and Alabama’s Kirby Smart. All got hefty raises to stay in their current posts.

"I know this process took a little while, but in the end we got the right man for the job," head coach Mark Richt said. "I’m 100 percent confident of Todd’s ability to get the job done here."

The Bulldogs have been searching for a new coordinator since Willie Martinez was fired Dec. 2 along with two other defensive assistants.

Even now, they’ll have to wait a little longer before Granthan comes on board. He’ll remain with the Cowboys as long as they keep winning in the playoffs, which could delay his move to Athens for about three more weeks. Dallas travels to Minnesota on Sunday to face the Vikings in the divisional round; the Super Bowl is Feb. 7.

"I’m a big believer that you’ve got to finish what you start. From that standpoint, I feel like I’m obligated," said Grantham, who has been with the Cowboys for two years. "I need to follow this thing through and see how far we can go, because it’s the right thing to do. Right now, I’m working hard to see if we can beat Minnesota."

Even if the Cowboys do advance, Granthan said there be enough time early next week to talk with potential recruits by telephone in addition to preparing for Dallas’ next opponent.

Grantham previously spent three years as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns and a total of six years as an assistant with Houston and Indianapolis. He’s also coached in the college ranks, at Michigan State and his alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Grantham was hired on the same day that rival Georgia Tech settled on former Virginia coach Al Groh as its new defensive coordinator.

Like Groh with the Yellow Jackets, Granthan plans to switch from the 4-3 alignment to a 3-4.

"We’re going to be an aggressive, attacking style of defense," he vowed. "To make plays, you’ve got to have playmakers, and you’ve got to put them in position to make plays. The biggest thing is to evaluate players, learn what our assets are and find ways to help them make plays."

The Bulldogs failed to make enough plays under Martinez, who was fired after steadily declining results in his five-year tenure as coordinator.

This past season, Georgia ranked 10th in the Southeastern Conference in points allowed (26.4) and seventh in yards allowed (328.4). Over the last two years, the Bulldogs surrendered at least 30 points in 10 of their 26 games.

Linebacker Rennie Curran, the SEC’s leading tackler, and safety Reshad Jones gave up their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft, but the returning players are looking forward to turning around those disappointing numbers.

"Everybody is glad the search is over and we finally know what’s going to happen and we can start learning some new things," cornerback Brandon Boykin said.

Senior linebacker Darryl Gamble has never played in the 3-4 but sounded enthusiastic about making the change.

"I’ve seen it a lot in the NFL," he said. "It’s a pretty aggressive defense. You can do a lot of pass rushing. A lot of good pass rushers come out of the 3-4. From what I’ve seen, it’s very productive at getting guys to the ball. I think it’s a good defense to run."

Grantham said his goal is simple:

"After the game is over," he said, "the team you just played is happy they don’t have to play you anymore."

-- Paul Newberry

Holtz excited about challenge at USF

TAMPA, Fla. — Someone in the crowd ringing the amphitheater outside the University of South Florida student center shouted "Beat Florida!" Skip Holtz smiled and waited for the applause to wane.

"That’s why I’m here," he said, setting off another round of cheers.

A week after firing Jim Leavitt for mistreating a player, South Florida introduced Holtz as the second coach in the school’s relatively brief football history.

The son of former Notre Dame and South Carolina coach Lou Holtz talked Friday about winning Big East championships and achieving even loftier goals of elevating South Florida to the level of Florida, Florida State and Miami and competing for national titles.

"We want to build one of the better programs in the country," he said following a news conference that was more like a pep rally.

Hundreds of enthusiastic students, including at least one who knows Florida is on next season’s schedule, stopped by.

"It’s not going to happen overnight," Holtz added. "But it can happen here."

The Bulls lured the 45-year-old coach from East Carolina with a five-year, $9.1 million contract and an opportunity to work at a BCS school near family that resides in Florida.

Holtz’s parents live in Orlando, east of Tampa. His wife is from Port Charlotte, less then two hours to the south.

The coach said it was difficult saying goodbye to his old team, which won Conference USA titles the past two seasons. He also told USF athletic director Doug Woolard that "it would have been a lot harder for me to watch that airplane take off without me."

Holtz’s contract calls for base salaries of $1.7 million in each of the first two years; $1.8 million in 2012, $1.9 million in 2013 and $2 million in 2014. It includes a $1 million buyout clause for the first two seasons, $500,000 in 2012 and $300,000 in 2013.

While East Carolina was in need of a drastic overhaul when he joined the Pirates in December 2004, Holtz inherits a program that has been one of the nation’s feel-good stories for much of the past decade.

That was until Leavitt was accused a grabbing a player by the throat during halftime of a game in November, slapping him in the face twice and then lying about the incident.

The only coach South Florida had in the first 13 years of the program was fired last week when a university investigation concluded the coach’s account of what happened was not credible and that Leavitt also tried to interfere with the probe.

Holtz met with the Bulls after arriving on campus from Greenville, N.C., late Thursday.

His message was simple.

"I know there needs to be some healing," the coach said, adding he respects what Leavitt accomplished in starting USF’s program from scratch and guiding the Bulls to a 95-57 record that included numerous signature victories.

"I told them this is not about Jim Leavitt’s players, Jim Leavitt’s recruits or Skip Holtz’s recruits. It’s about coming to together as the University of South Florida football team and doing what it takes to get to the next level."

Holtz is one of four coaches to win conference championships the past two seasons.

He took over a program at East Carolina that had lost 22 of its previous 25 games and rebuilt the Pirates into a team that’s had winning records and played in bowl games the past four years.

USF is the only BCS school in the country to begin each of the past three seasons with at least five straight victories. But each of the promising starts was followed by a midseason swoon that dropped the Bulls out of the Top 25 and contention for a Big East title.

Holtz expects to have a staff in place by early next week. He anticipates keeping some of Leavitt’s assistants.

"They have been to five straight bowl games. Obviously they’re doing a lot of things right," the coach said. "I’m not looking to come in and reinvent the wheel. I’m looking to build on the success that this program has already enjoyed."

Holtz, 38-27 in five seasons at East Carolina, said he’s going to be open-minded about the team’s style of play. USF returns nine starters on offense, including quarterback B.J. Daniels, and six on defense.

"This isn’t about Skip Holtz running his system. This is about what talents and abilities do we have on this football team," the coach said. "I’ve thrown the ball 14 times a game and won a lot of games. I’ve thrown the ball 65 times a game and won a lot of games."

-- Fred Goodall

East Carolina starts search for Holtz’s successor

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Terry Holland always knew this day would come.

With Skip Holtz leading East Carolina to bowl games and Conference USA championships, it was only a matter of time before another school came around to pluck the affable coach away. Now, with Holtz at South Florida, Holland — the Pirates’ athletic director who hired Holtz five years ago — must find a new coach.

"We did everything we could to hold him back," Holland joked at a news conference Friday. "We’ve had a good relationship, and we’ve been prepared for that day as much as you can be prepared for that day. You can’t talk to people, so there’s only so much you can do."

Holland said he’ll meet with the assistant coaches Saturday to determine whether any want to be a candidate to replace Holtz or the interim coach, though he’d prefer them not be both. From there, the Pirates will be "hard at it" next week and on the road to meet with potential candidates for a job with a couple of unique challenges.

Among them: fighting for East Carolina’s share of headlines in a state dominated by Atlantic Coast Conference programs like North Carolina and North Carolina State. Complicating matters is that the Pirates have broken ground on an expansion to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, meaning the Pirates have to hire the right coach who can sell the program and increase ticket demand. They also have to maintain most of their 22 verbal commitments from recruits until national signing day next month.

It’s all adds up to "a lot" of pressure for Holland and executive associate athletic director Nick Floyd, the two who will take the lead in finding the next coach.

"This is big for us," he said, "no question about that."

Indeed, Holtz’s departure Thursday threatens to put the Pirates’ rapid rise on hold. He inherited a program that had lost 22 of 25 games — 19 by double-digit margins and seven by at least 33 points — when he arrived in December 2004, but had the Pirates in a bowl game his second season and led them to a bowl win the following year.

The Pirates have won the past two Conference USA championships, the first league titles for the longtime independent since 1976, and vaulted into the national rankings in 2008 after high-profile upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Along the way, Holtz became an annual fixture on the list of top candidates for coaching vacancies. He flirted with Cincinnati and Syracuse in recent years, but insisted he wasn’t looking to leave the program he rescued from its miserable state. He ultimately opted to leave for South Florida, a BCS-conference program in a state loaded with talented recruits.

Perhaps the Pirates will have a bit of good fortune as they did in hiring Holtz. Back in 2004, Holland didn’t decide to meet with Holtz — then an assistant to his father, Lou, at South Carolina — until the Pirates were in Charlotte for a neutral-site game against N.C. State. It was a meeting that helped Holtz vault from just another candidate to the pick.

"I honestly don’t know if we hadn’t been going to Charlotte ... that we would have reacted nearly as quickly as we did, so we just got lucky," Holland said the day the Pirates introduced Holtz as coach. "We looked a lot smarter than we were."

Now, the informal list of 20 to 30 possible replacements Holland had long maintained for the day Holtz finally left is the starting point.

"It’s finding the right fit as well as those who happen to be available at this time," Holland said. "But there’s some really good coaches out there. There’s no doubt. We can go wrong, but there are a lot of good coaches."

-- Aaron Beard

Groh heading to Georgia Tech to run defense

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech hired former Virginia coach Al Groh as its defensive coordinator, hoping he can turn around a unit that was burned for big yards even as the Yellow Jackets were winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

Groh agreed to terms Friday, the school said, staying in the ACC after nine years as the Cavaliers’ head coach. He was fired shortly after Virginia completed a 3-9 season, its worst since 1982.

He’s heading to a program that won its first outright conference title since 1990. Groh plans to sign his new contract after arriving in Atlanta next week.

"They’ve got it going on there pretty good," he told The Associated Press. "I’m honored that they want me to come be a part of it."

Groh went 59-53 during his tenure at Virginia, including five bowl appearances. He set out several criteria before deciding where he wanted to coach in 2010, and said Georgia Tech meets them.

The top priority was taking a job where there’s a chance to win championships. The Yellow Jackets are coming off an 11-3 season that included a victory over Clemson in the ACC title game, but ended with a 24-14 loss to Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

"I think any time you can get a coach the caliber of an Al Groh, it is a tremendous plus for your program," coach Paul Johnson said. "Al has a great deal of expertise. He is considered one of the top defensive minds in the country and has a record to support it."

Georgia Tech had one of the nation’s most prolific offenses with Johnson’s trademark triple-option, averaging nearly 34 points and more than 295 yards per game on the ground. But the defense struggled under coordinator Dave Wommack, leading to high-scoring games such as a 49-44 victory at Florida State, a 30-27 loss to rival Georgia and a 39-34 win for the ACC title.

The Yellow gave up at least 30 points in five games, leading to Wommack’s firing after only two seasons.

The 65-year-old Groh was dumped by Virginia less than 24 hours after a 42-13 home loss to Virginia Tech, his eighth loss in nine tries to the Cavaliers’ biggest rival.

At his post-game news conference, Groh read a poem, "The Guy in the Glass," about how the most important person an individual has to please is himself. He closed with a testimonial about himself.

"When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he’s a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability," he said. "He’s loyal, his spirit is indomitable and he’s caring and loving. I’m sure I will always call the guy in the glass a friend."

Groh received a $4.33 million buyout from Virginia. Now, he’s charged with turning around a defense that surrendered 24.8 points and 360.3 yards per game.

Making his job tougher: Two of Georgia Tech’s top defensive players, All-America end Derrick Morgan and hard-hitting safety Morgan Burnett, decided to skip their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft.

Groh is expected to change the defensive alignment, switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Earlier this week, Johnson said he has no qualms about going with three down linemen instead of four.

"I’m a bottom line kind of guy," the head coach said. "There’s a lot of ways to get there. I like what we do on offense, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only one you can be successful at. I feel the same way about defense. I want somebody who has a system, who understands it and can be effective. Whether it’s a 3-4, 4-3 or an eight-man front ... can you teach it? That’s the bottom line.

"It’s not what you know, but what you can teach to the guys."

Johnson announced another coaching move Friday, promoting graduate assistant Lamar Owens to oversee the A-backs. The former Navy quarterback takes over for Jeff Monken, who left to become the head coach at Georgia Southern.

-- Paul Newberry

Football coach Cutcliffe to remain at Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — This is something Duke hasn’t been able to claim before: Its football coach would rather be in charge of the Blue Devils than one of the Southeastern Conference’s traditional powers.

David Cutcliffe hopes his decision to withdraw from Tennessee’s coaching search comes with the added benefit of stability for a Duke program that through the years has fired its unsuccessful coaches and lost its good ones to more glamorous jobs.

"As much as my stomach’s hurt the last two days," Cutcliffe said Friday, "I hope it means a lot going forward."

After considering the Tennessee opening, Cutcliffe said he would remain with the Blue Devils. His deep-rooted connections to the SEC and the Volunteers’ program, where he twice was an assistant to longtime friend and mentor Phillip Fulmer, made him an obvious candidate to replace Lane Kiffin, who left abruptly this week for Southern California.

"People that think that was automatic just don’t know me very well," Cutcliffe said.

Fulmer had said he would help Tennessee with its search, but Cutcliffe said he didn’t discuss the job much with him because "I value my personal space when I have big decisions."

Instead, he wrestled with his options late Thursday before telling Duke athletic director Kevin White on Friday morning that he planned to stay in Durham, in part because "how can you not think about wanting to be a job well done?" Cutcliffe is 9-15 in two seasons at Duke, which won a combined eight games in the five years before he arrived.

Asked about reports that he and Tennessee differed on how many of his assistants he would be permitted to bring to Knoxville, Cutcliffe said: "We’re a group. ... We’ve invested a lot in each others’ lives, so wherever we go, we go together." But he added that even if Tennessee had allowed him to bring his entire staff, he probably would have come to the same decision.

"In following my heart, I had just too many indicators to be here," he said.

Cutcliffe’s choice kept in the fold the Blue Devils’ highest-profile coach since Steve Spurrier left for Florida after the 1989 season, and saved the school from conducting a coaching search a few weeks before signing day.

"Simply put, we could not be happier or more excited about the future of the Blue Devils football program," White said.

Cutcliffe was on Tennessee’s staff from 1982-98 and from 2006-07, leaving twice to take head coaching jobs. He went 44-29 with five bowl appearances in six-plus seasons at Mississippi from 1998-2004, and is coming off a 5-7 finish that was Duke’s best since 1994.

This marks the second time in nearly 15 months that he removed his name from consideration for the Tennessee job. When Fulmer was forced out in November 2008, Cutcliffe quickly quashed speculation that he would return to Knoxville.

"It says a lot about the program being on the (upswing) right now, coming into our own," Duke running back Jay Hollingsworth said. "And it says a lot about his loyalty and commitment to the program itself, so it’s a great honor to have him stay here."

-- Joedy McCreary

Kelly asks Irish players to buy in unconditionally

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — New Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly had a message for his players when they arrived back on campus this week for the spring semester: he doesn't have time to ask them to buy into his program.

"We didn't have time to have a big group hug. It was time to go to work," he said.

Kelly, hired last month to turn around a program that just completed the worst decade in its storied history, said the Irish already are behind teams that went to bowl games and got extra practices. He asked players to buy in unconditionally to what he and his staff are telling them.

His message: "Have some faith and go to work."

Kelly led Cincinnati to a 12-0 regular-season finish before taking the job at Notre Dame, which fired Charlie Weis after the Irish went 6-6 in the regular season for a second straight year. Kelly said he knows what is expected for a school that last won a national title in 1988.

"This is about winning championships, and that's why we're here," he said.

Kelly said he's given the players what he calls the Irish commandments, the Irish creed and the Irish covenant. He wouldn't elaborate on what they are, saying he wanted to wait until the players had a better chance to learn them. But he said he hoped those would help shape the players.

Kelly also said university administrators would decide whether 20-year-old receiver Michael Floyd will face any punishment after receiving a citation for underage drinking in Minneapolis on Jan. 8.

Kelly said he's already talked to Floyd about the need of making good choices being paramount. He said he plans to talk to Floyd again about accountability.

Kelly apparently believes his players aren't in the shape he expects after they went through their first offseason workout on Thursday.

"I think we had seven guys who threw up before we got through stretching," he said.

A news conference was held Friday so that Kelly could introduce his new staff. Kelly said he was looking for people who are capable of coaching more than one position.

"I want great teachers and great educators that can communicate across the board," he said.

Kelly said the first thing he needs to teach the offensive players is to have an aggressive mindset.

"It's not about anything else but scoring points," he said. "This past year at the University of Cincinnati we were last in the country — dead last — in time of possession. But we were one of the most prolific scoring teams in the country. So it's about aggressive mentality and about scoring points."

Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said the focus right now is the Irish getting into shape, not learning anything from a playbook.

"We're not into defensive systems. We're not into defensive fundamentals. We're not into anything," he said. "They're into coach Kelly's core principles for development. One of those, the major one right now, is strength and conditioning."

-- Tom Coyne

Holgorsen leaves Houston to run Okla. St. offense

STILLWATER, Okla. — Houston offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is leaving behind star quarterback Case Keenum and bringing his high-powered attack to Oklahoma State.

The architect of the nation’s top offense was hired Friday as the offensive coordinator of the Cowboys, who finished the season ranked 70th in total offense following back-to-back years in the top 10.

A disciple of former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, Holgorsen has been involved in some of the nation’s top offenses over the past decade. His offense at Houston led the nation with 563 yards and 42.2 points per game last season and finished second behind Tulsa the year before.

Prior to that, Holgorsen spent eight seasons with the Red Raiders, who have finished sixth or better in total offense every year since 2002.

"We’re elated that Dana is joining our staff," Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. "He has a great pedigree, and a history of success."

Gundy didn’t immediately address what would happen to Gunter Brewer, who served as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator last season after sharing the job with Trooper Taylor the previous year. Oklahoma State averaged 367 yards and 28.4 points last season, down from 488 yards and 40.8 points a year earlier.

The Cowboys led the Big 12 in rushing for the fourth straight season but finished the year with consecutive lackluster performances, totaling just seven points and 15 first downs in losses to Oklahoma in the regular-season finale and Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl. Oklahoma State averaged 184 yards in those two games.

Complicating matters, the Cowboys will be losing their primary offensive weapons — quarterback Zac Robinson and running back Keith Toston completed their careers. Dez Bryant, an All-American at receiver in 2008, also has left school following a suspension by the NCAA and won’t be back for his senior season.

Holgorsen is leaving the Cougars only days after Keenum, the nation’s most prolific passer with 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns, announced that he would be returning for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft.

Holgorsen’s offense was partially responsible for the downfall of Oklahoma State last season. The Cowboys were ranked fifth when the Cougars pulled a 45-35 upset in Stillwater behind 512 yards. The game marked both the most points and most yards allowed by OSU this season.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work with coach Gundy and his program at OSU," Holgorsen said. "I want to thank head coach Kevin Sumlin and the University of Houston for my time in Houston. It’s great to be a part of the Oklahoma State family and to be back in the Big 12."

UTEP hires new defensive coaches

EL PASO — Texas-El Paso coach Mike Price has hired two new defensive assistants to replace two that he fired earlier this week.

A UTEP statement issued Friday says Price has hired Adam Gonzaga as his new safeties coach and former Miner Robert Rodriguez as his new linebackers coach. He had hired Andre Patterson as defensive coordinator earlier this week.

That’s after Price fired defensive coordinator Osia Lewis, defensive line coach DeChon Burns and assistant Jim Clark after the Miners’ third consecutive losing season.

Gonzaga comes to UTEP after two seasons on the Bowling Green staff. Before that, the Azusa Pacific alumnus worked on the staffs at seven schools, including Connecticut and Navy.

Rodriguez has worked for the past two seasons as a defensive program coordinator after a three-year pro playing career. Before that, he was a star linebacker for the Miners.

La. Tech appoints Frank Scelfo interim coach

RUSTON, La. — Louisiana Tech has appointed offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo to be its interim football coach and formed a committee to find a full-time replacement for Derek Dooley.

Dooley left the Bulldogs on Friday to take over as head coach at Tennessee. Dooley also was Louisiana Tech’s athletic director.

Louisiana Tech president Dan Reneau said deputy athletic director Bruce Van De Velde will be the acting athletic director and chair the search committee.

Louisiana Tech Athletic Council Chairman James Liberatos and Athletic Council member Steve Davison are also on the committee.

Non-Coaching

Gerhart to leave Stanford for NFL draft

STANFORD, Calif. — Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart announced Friday that he will enter the NFL draft instead of staying at Stanford for a fifth season.

Gerhart thanked coach Jim Harbaugh, former running backs coach Willie Taggart and his offensive linemen for helping his success this season. He could have stayed for a fifth season because he played just one game in 2007 because of injuries, but opted for the NFL instead.

After winning just one game his freshman season under coach Walt Harris, Gerhart helped lead a turnaround for the Cardinal that was capped this season by the school’s first bowl bid since 2001.

"We’ve been through a lot of adversity during my time here, but I’m extremely proud to have been part of the class that brought Stanford football back to national prominence," Gerhart said.

Stanford (8-5) lost the Sun Bowl to Oklahoma, but had many breakthroughs this season led by Gerhart. The Cardinal made it into The Associated Press rankings for the first time in eight years and were in contention for the Pac-10 title until late in the season.

Gerhart was at his best during a memorable November run for Stanford. He ran for 223 yards and three TDs in a 51-42 victory over then-No. 7 Oregon, followed by 178 yards rushing and three scores in a 55-21 victory at then-No. 11 Southern California.

Gerhart ran for 136 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-28 loss to California before capping the month with 205 yards rushing, three touchdowns and a TD pass in a 45-38 win against Notre Dame.

Gerhart ran for a school-record 1,871 yards and a nation-leading 28 touchdowns this past season. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the closest vote ever.

"Toby will be a great pro, and we are all excited for his opportunity at the next level," Harbaugh said. "We are excited and enthused to watch Toby and all of our seniors go on to become leaders in their chosen fields."

With Gerhart in the NFL, Stanford’s offense next season will revolve more around quarterback Andrew Luck. Stepfan Taylor, who ran for 303 yards as a freshman, will step in at tailback along with Jeremy Stewart and Tyler Gaffney.

-- Josh Dubow

Alabama’s Jackson skipping senior year for NFL

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft after the advisory committee projected him as a second-round pick.

Jackson announced his decision Friday — the last day for underclassmen to declare for the draft — but said he still planned to fulfill a promise to his parents and complete his degree.

The three-year starter joins All-America linebacker Rolando McClain in leaving the national champions a year early. The Tide will have only three defensive starters returning, counting linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who missed most of the season with a knee injury.

Jackson had 159 tackles and five interceptions in his career while starting all but one game.

Star UCLA K Forbath returning for senior year

LOS ANGELES — UCLA kicker Kai Forbath is returning for his senior season.

Forbath won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker last season, and was a second-team AP All-American. He made 28 of 31 field goal attempts, including all 25 from inside 50 yards.

He led the nation with 2.15 field goals per game, and has made 37 straight field goals from inside 50 yards.

Forbath is second on UCLA’s career list with 72 field goals. He says he decided to return to build on the momentum of the Bruins’ 7-6 season, capped by a victory over Temple in the EagleBank Bowl.