UNCs Fedora sidesteps speculation about LSU interest

A New Orleans newspaper reported earlier this week that North Carolinas Larry Fedora is a potential candidate for the vacant football coaching position at LSU

Christine T. Nguyen—The North State Journal
North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora reacts during a game last season

CHAPEL HILL — A New Orleans newspaper reported earlier this week that North Carolina’s Larry Fedora is a potential candidate for the vacant football coaching position at LSU. The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com, citing unnamed sources, indicated that Fedora’s representatives have been contacted about the coach’s interest in filling the position that came available when Les Miles was fired earlier this season. Fedora acknowledged that he’s seen the report when asked about it on Tuesday, but declined to comment specifically about the possibility of his leaving Chapel Hill after five seasons with the Tar Heels. “I don’t address it because I don’t remember a year that I’ve been a head coach that there hasn’t been some kind of job speculation,” Fedora said after his team’s practice. “I’m not going to be talking about the speculation, because if you did you’d be talking about it all the time, because anybody could put anything on the internet. And then everybody wants to know. It’s a waste of time talking about it. It really is.” Despite taking over a program under NCAA sanctions, Fedora has compiled a 39-23 record at UNC, including an 11-4 mark and the ACC Coastal Division championship in 2015. His current team is 7-3 heading into Saturday’s nonconference game against The Citadel. Because of that success and a reputation for high-scoring offenses, his name is likely to come up for other jobs as they begin to come open in the coming weeks. Fedora is under contract with UNC until 2022.In addition to Fedora, other names mentioned in connection with the LSU job are Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Houston’s Tom Herman. The published report indicated that LSU athletic director Joe Alleva — formerly of Duke — hopes to have a new coach in place by early December.