Baylor coach Art Briles and UCLA coach Jim Mora are the latest coaches to take themselves out of the running for the Texas Longhorns' coaching vacancy. With the list of potential coaches for Texas shortening, Louisville's Charlie Strong may be emerging as the frontrunner.
The Texas Longhorns coaching job may not be the hottest job on the market after all. Briles and Mora join the likes of Alabama's Nick Saban, Florida State's Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin to reaffirm their commitment to their present schools.
Anonymous sources on Thursday pinned Briles' name to the Texas job. The Austin American-Statesman reported sources as saying the Baylor coach would accept the Longhorns' coaching job if Texas athletic director Steve Patterson offered it.
Briles, who signed a 10-year extension with Baylor in November, quickly ended the speculation with a tweet on Friday.
"Contrary to reports and rumors I am a Baylor Bear - 2013 Big 12 Champs," Briles wrote.
He later confirmed his commitment to Baylor again in a statement released by the school.
Reports, including one from ESPN's Adam Schefter, also linked Mora to the Texas job. Although Texas officials contacted Mora's agent, the UCLA coach told them he wasn't interested in leaving.
"It is always flattering when someone is interested in you. But I am committed to being the UCLA coach," Mora told the L.A. Times on Friday.
Strong, fresh off a blowout win over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl, could be the frontrunner for the job if only because of a dwindling list of options for Texas. The Statesman confirmed Strong interviewed for the job but nothing was imminent.
"...Louisville's Charlie Strong has officially interviewed with Patterson at an undisclosed location. But Patterson told Strong that the athletic director planned to visit with other candidates to replace Mack Brown as well," Kirk Bohls and Brian Davis of The Statesman wrote on Wednesday. "The Statesman source said it was unknown how Strong's interview with Patterson went."
Louisville finished the season with a 12-1 record.
