FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Nebraska turned its attention to
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt after Kansas City Chiefs offensive
coordinator Al Saunders turned down the Huskers' job.
Arkansas sports information director Kevin Trainor said Thursday
he understood Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson flew to
Fayetteville to meet with Nutt. Trainor said he had no other
details.
KARK-TV in Little Rock reported that Arkansas and Nebraska
sources said Pederson flew to Fayetteville and talked to Nutt on
Thursday night, possibly at his home.
"I think he's going," Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles
told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I think it's a 90 percent
chance that he is. I could be wrong, but that's my experience with
coaches."
Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said Thursday that Saunders had turned
down the Huskers' job.
Nebraska fired Frank Solich in November. He was 58-19 in six
years at the school after replacing Tom Osborne.
Broyles said Thursday that Pederson contacted him Wednesday
seeking permission to talk to Nutt. "He asked me yesterday, but I
asked him not to talk to (Nutt) until today," Broyles said.
Nutt coached the Razorbacks to a 27-14 victory over Missouri in
the Independence Bowl on Wednesday night. He is 48-27 after leading
the program six years and has three nine-win seasons. The
Razorbacks finished this season 9-4.
Broyles noted that Nebraska has a strong program with "a lot of
money." Asked whether Arkansas would match any financial package
Nebraska might offer, Broyles said Arkansas would "certainly
consider it."
He said he'd probably know within 24 hours whether he'd be
searching for a new coach.