Associated Press
The college football notebook …
GREENVILLE ó Skip Holtz has made it official: He isn’t going anywhere this offseason.
East Carolina’s recent success has made his a common name mentioned when coaching jobs open every year, and the coach on Friday acknowledged talking to multiple, unidentified schools about their vacancies.
“After sitting down and looking at everything and weighing all of our options … Greenville is the best place for us to be,” Holtz said.
Holtz, who’s 38-26 in five seasons at East Carolina, has seen his stock rise as he led the Pirates (9-4) to their second straight Conference USA title and consecutive berths in the Liberty Bowl.
He opened his pre-Liberty Bowl press conference by addressing the “entire rumor mill that keeps running around, that everybody has run so wildly with.” The coach says his discussions with other schools came with the blessing of East Carolina’s administration and added that there have been no adjustments made to the contract extension he signed last year that runs through the 2013 season.
His decision “takes a lot of the uncertainty out of it, and I think it’s really done a great thing (because) it stimulates you mentally, where we’re going as a program and what we’re trying to do,” Holtz said.
NOTRE DAME
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) ó New Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly drew a big cheer from Fighting Irish fans attending a basketball game against UCLA on Saturday when he talked about bringing the school back to prominence.
“The reality is we’re here to do a job and that job is to develop players, graduate players and win championships,” he said.
FLORIDA STATE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó Incoming Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is ready to focus on playing West Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
Fisher said on Saturday that he is pleased his five-year, $9 million contract to coach Florida State is done and that it solidifies the future of the program he’ll inherit from Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden on Jan. 5.
SOUTHERN CAL
LOS ANGELES ó Southern California is investigating tailback Joe McKnight’s use of an SUV registered to a businessman.
McKnight has been seen driving a 2006 Land Rover that state records indicate is registered to 47-year-old Scott Schenter, the Los Angeles Times reported. McKnight told the paper that he has never driven the SUV and it belongs to his girlfriend’s boss.
“I know I can’t drive cars I’m not supposed to,” he said. “If somebody said they spotted me driving, they’re seeing wrong. I don’t even have the keys.”
NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP
ROME, Ga. ó Ryan Lomiller ran for 115 yards and a touchdown to lead Sioux Falls to the NAIA Championship with a 25-22 win over Lindenwood on Saturday.