Coach search heats up as names are added, dropped

As the search for the new IU football coach continues, more potential replacements have entered the mix, and one has possibly left the game.\nEarly Thursday evening, former Nebraska football coach Frank Solich's agent, Jack Mills, said he didn't think his client was a candidate for the vacant IU head coaching job.\n"As far as we know, he is not one of their candidates," Mill said. "We have not heard anything from them."\nMills said Solich did attempt to contact IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan, but the two parties never had a conversation. \nMills also said his client "definitely" would be interested in the IU job if it were offered to him. \nWhether or not Solich holds the Indiana position in a higher regard than other coaching opportunities is undecided, Mills said.\n"Solich considers it a really attractive situation," Mills said. "It's Big Ten. There's a lot of upside to improve on where they've been, and he likes that part of the country. He was raised in Ohio."\nSolich last coached in 2003, leading the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 9-3 record. \nHe was 58-19 overall in six seasons in Lincoln.\nShortly after Solich was fired at Nebraska, Greenspan -- then the athletics director at Army -- offered him a football coaching position, but the 60-year-old turned it down.\nMills said Solich is not holding his breath waiting for contact from Greenspan -- but would be let down if he was not considered.\n"Yeah, I think he would be disappointed," Mills said. "But he understands there are different profiles for different jobs in terms of people they could attract." \nOften-mentioned former Ohio State coach John Cooper is also a potential candidate.\nCooper, who is a part-time consultant with the Cincinnati Bengals, denied an interview with the Indiana Daily Student through a Bengals public relations spokesperson. \nAnother rumored candidate is Maryland offensive coordinator and quarterback's coach, Charlie Taafe.\nTaafe is in his fourth year in College Park, and has led the Terps to a top 30 ranking in four major offensive categories -- rushing, total offense, scoring and pass efficiency.\n"He has not been contacted by IU," said Associate Media Relations Director Greg Creese. "But if (IU) got him, you'd really like him."\nFormer IU coach Gerry DiNardo was fired Dec. 1, and Greenspan formed a search-and-screen committee for the new football coach Monday featuring eight members from a variety of areas at IU. \nGreenspan has not specified when he plans to have a new coach in place.\n-- Contact staff writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.