Packers, San Francisco assistants will listen if UK comes calling Coaching vacancy drawing interest
By Chris Easterling
Sports Editor
Since it is official that Bill Curry will not be back for the 1997 season, the focus turns to who will be the next at the helm for the Wildcats on the gridiron.There already have been several names tossed around to replace Curry next season.Among those include some realistic possibilities, such as Auburn offensive coordinator Tommy Bowden, Tennessee offensive coordinator David
Cutcliffe and San Francisco 49ers wide receivers coach, and former UK assistant, Larry Kirksey.
Then there are some really absurd names which have popped up, mainly on call-in shows. These include Northwestern's Gary Barnett and Florida's Steve Spurrier.
Even Rick Pitino's name has jokingly been mentioned.
Since the decision was just made, University administrators have not yet had an opportunity to contact any possible candidates, which UK Athletics Director C.M. Newton said would begin "later on this week."
A number of the coaches who have been named as possible candidates refused to comment on whether or not they would be interested in the job if they were offered it.
Included among these coaches is Bowden, who said it was not yet the right time to comment on the UK job, since it is still in the middle of the season. Ohio State offensive coordinator Joe Hollis also refused to speak about the job.
Cutcliffe is another name that has circulated among media members as a possible choice as well. In his 15 years at UT, Cutcliffe has coached several talented quarterbacks, including Heath Shuler, Andy Kelly and this year's Heisman Trophy candidate, Peyton Manning.
This experience with quarterbacks, along with the fact that UT was the team that just missed landing Tim Couch out of high school, would lead some to believe he would be a very likely choice.
Cutcliffe did not come right out and say that he would be interested in becoming UK's next football coach. However, he did leave the door open to the possibility of interviewing for the job if asked.
"As an assistant coach," Cutcliffe said, "and a long-time assistant coach, I am always looking for opportunities and willing to look and talk with anyone."
The job opening has spurred the interest of a few coaches around the country, both in college and the NFL.
"Yeah, I would be interested," Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis said in a phone interview yesterday.
"I really don't know a whole lot about the program, but I was there last year to work out some players (prior to the draft)," he said. "They have nice facilities. Plus it is a centrally located campus, which would be good for recruiting in the states around it."
Lewis has been running the high-octane offense of the Packers for the last few years and has been partially responsible for the success Packer quarterback Brett Favre, last season's NFL Most Valuable Player, has enjoyed.
This should be good news for UK fans, who have complained about the Cats' lack of a passing game. It should also bring a smile to the face of Couch, whose full potential has not yet been realized under the Curry/Elliot Uzelac two-tight end offense.
Having a quarterback like Couch is also good for Lewis, who could use him as a centerpiece to the program.
"Everything starts with the quarterback," Lewis said. "If you don't have a good quarterback, you're not going to be able to have a good offense."
Another professional assistant that has been mentioned as a candidate for the job is Kirksey, who has coached the likes of Jerry Rice, John Taylor and J.J. Stokes while with 49ers.
Like Lewis, he expressed interest in UK, but wasn't about to make it a priority at this moment.
"If I was contacted, I would definitely consider it, yes," Kirksey said by phone yesterday. "But right now, I'm getting ready to play the Houston Oilers (on Sunday). So until they contact me, I can't say anything."
Either Lewis or Kirksey would make history if they were hired by the University. It would be the first time in the history of the Southeastern Conference that a school had a black football coach.
One name that has been brought up by several, mainly on the radio call-in shows, is Howard Schnellenberger.
The former Louisville coach and UK alumnus has taken this year off from coaching after leaving Oklahoma following a disappointing 5-5-1 season.
He was unavailable for comment yesterday.
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