Not so fast...Friday Morning Update

Bill Cole in this morning's Winston-Salem Journal says that no offer has yet been made, and that Duke has narrowed the search down to Cutcliffe and former UCLA HC Karl Dorrell. The Herald-Sun says much the same thing.

Also, this morning's News and Observer update has some interesting comments from Cutcliffe on his health. Cutcliffe had to take two years off from coaching after undergoing a triple bypass procedure.

Here's a good read from Frank Dascenzo with an interview of Archie Manning, who gives a ringing endorsement for Cutcliffe and his offensive philosophy.

Continue to check back as the day progresses, as I'll be monitoring the situation and posting the latest as soon as I see it.

Thursday Update - Noon

Finals week has kept me away from the blog over the last few days, but here is the latest I've heard and read.

1) Tennessee OC David Cutcliffe was on campus Wednesday to interview for the job, making him the fifth coach to interview with Duke AD Joe Alleva. Cutcliffe was 44-29 in six seasons with Ole Miss, and he only had one losing season at one of the tougher coaching situations in the SEC. He's also a noted quarterbacks tutor, as he's coached both Manning brothers.

2) Former Georgia Tech HC Chan Gailey and Louisiana-Monroe HC Charlie Weatherbie have had their names linked to the position, although there is no indication yet whether they've officially spoken with Alleva or have an interview planned.

3) Tom Dienhart's blog on the Sporting News site says that Dorrell might be the front runner for the job right now and that Gailey's name has surfaced to him, too.

Dorrell Interview Today

Don't expect Vanderbilt HC Bobby Johnson to walk out of Cameron today with a contract offer...this report says that former UCLA HC Karl Dorrell is expected to interview with Duke AD Joe Alleva sometimes early this week.

UPDATE (7:30 pm): Sure enough, this report says that Dorrell was spotted on campus today. Apparently he was spotted in a convertible just outside of Cameron.

Moving on...Karl Dorrell

Now that the loss of Paul Johnson has sunk in a bit, here is some new news and a new name—former UCLA HC Karl Dorrell is now one of Duke's top targets.

This report is in line with what I've been hearing about Duke's next plans, and despite a rocky tenure at UCLA that saw only one great (10-2 last season) season and three mediocre ones, Dorrell by all accounts is a good coach. He has an NFL track record, and is an offensive-minded guy. Again, he has the experience—he just had the misfortune of coaching cross-town from Pete Carroll and USC.

The article also does say that Dorrell may want to get back into the NFL. He's a decendant of the Mike Shanahan coaching tree, so the Broncos or the Texans (with former Broncos OC Gary Kubiak as HC) are his most likely destinations there. Keep in mind that the Texans have just lost their OC (Mike Sherman to Texas A&M), so there may be an opening there for Dorrell.