Jon Gruden’s agent on reports his client had received an offer from Tennessee: “This, to me, is just a fantasy world.”
Florida State AD Randy Spetman won’t comment on rumors tying FSU coach Jimbo Fisher to Auburn and to Tennessee
Jimbo Fisher: ” I have not spoken with Dave Hart”
Florida coach Will Muschamp says he’s not worried about losing staff members this offseason
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive says he’s “comfortable” at 14 teams but “would never say never” when asked about further expansion
Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will leave school school early and enter 2013 NFL draft
Missouri basketball guard Michael Dixon will transfer after two rape allegations have come to light
Florida basketbal arena may get $50 million makeover
A competency hearing has been scheduled for alleged tree-poisoner Harvey Updyke
SEC Championship Game Saturday.  MrSEC Pick – Alabama 28 – Georgia 20
Follow all the SEC’s coaching news and more at MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was asked today about rumors linking him with the job at Tennessee.

“I have not spoken with (Tennessee A.D.) Dave Hart.” Fisher told the Jacksonville Times-Union. “I’m focusing on a football game.” The coach added ”It’s the nature of the business … I understand it.”

Fisher is in Charlotte where the Seminoles play Georgia Tech Saturday in the ACC Championship game.

Multiple reports claim Jon Gruden has turned down Tennessee’s advances regarding the school’s coaching job
Florida State AD Randy Spetman won’t comment on rumors tying FSU coach Jimbo Fisher to Auburn and to Tennessee
Missouri guard Michael Dixon will transfer after two rape allegations have come to light this week
Florida coach Will Muschamp says he’s not worried about losing staff members this offseason
A competency hearing has been scheduled for alleged tree-poisoner Harvey Updyke
Kentucky coach John Calipari was disappointed his team “didn’t compete” in a 64-50 loss to Notre Dame last night
LSU moved to 5-0 on the season with a 72-67 win over Seton Hall
Florida destroyed Marquette last night 82-40
Follow all the SEC’s coaching news and more at MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Jon Gruden and the Cleveland Browns have denied reports that Gruden has been offered a stake in the NFL franchise if he accepts the Tennessee job
MrSEC.com is reporting that Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is at the top of the wish list for both Auburn and Tennessee
Multiple reports claim that Arkansas has approached LSU’s Les Miles about its coaching vacancy
MrSEC.com is reporting that Les Miles is expected to stay in Baton Rouge and receive a raise
Kentucky has hired Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops as its new head football coach
Heading into the SEC title game, Alabama CB Dee Milliner On Georgia QB Aaron Murray: “He does all the little things right.”
If Alabama wins the SEC championship and BCS championship, Nick Saban will earn more than $6 million in salary and bonuses
Follow all of the SEC coaching search news at MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Missouri basketball player Mike Dixon accused of rape but no charges were filed after Columbia, MO police determined there was insufficient evidence
Kentucky hires Florida defensive coordinator Mark Stoops as its new football coach
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher says he’s “very happy” in Tallahassee despite rumors tying him to Auburn and Tennessee
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops says he loves his current job, despite rumors tying him to Tennessee
Arkansas State coach Gus Malzahn says he’s not looking to leave, despite rumors tying him to Auburn
NC State athletic director Debbie Yow says Vanderbilt’s James Franklin is not a coaching candidate in Raleigh
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel says he expects defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to leave for the NFL draft
Ole Miss fined $5,000 by the SEC office after fans rushed the field following last week’s win over Mississippi State
Florida coach Will Muschamp was given a one-year contract extension earlier this fall
Follow the SEC all year long at MrSEC.com and via our mobile apps

We told you yesterday that Florida’s Will Muschamp disagreed with Nick Saban’s assessment that the loser of the SEC Championship Game between his Alabama team and Georgia should land in the Sugar Bowl rather than drop down the bowl pecking order to make room for a Gator team that didn’t win its division.

In all honesty, he’s right.  If you win your division, you shouldn’t be punished in the bowl selection process for having to play an extra game.  But Muschamp’s response was as follows:

“Well, I can switch and go to Atlanta if he doesn’t want to go to Atlanta and play the Dawgs.  Be careful what you ask for, Nick.”

Hardly fighting words from the ex-Saban assistant, but the remark made national news just the same.

Meanwhile, Muschamp’s buddy at Florida State and another ex-Saban assistant, Jimbo Fisher, said something yesterday that could be construed as more of a direct shot at Bama’s coach.  Discussing rumors that he might land elsewhere this offseason, Fisher was reminded that his old boss once stated clearly and plainly that he would not leave the Miami Dolphins to become the head coach at Alabama (only to do so shortly thereafter).  The response from FSU’s coach:

“It goes back to your integrity.”

Hmmm.  That sounds like something an Auburn man — or someone headed to Auburn — might say.  (Just funnin’ with that last line, folks.)

When you talk about the ongoing searches at Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee a number of the same names keep popping up.  Yesterday, the men behind some of those names tried to prevent further popping.

Examples:

*  San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre said “there no truth to that” when asked about rumors that he’s already been offered the Kentucky job.  He also said he hasn’t even been contacted by any other schools.  “Nope, not as of right now.”

*  Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops shot down talk that he’d consider leaving Norman for Tennessee.  “Me?  Oh, I didn’t know that.  I like the job I have.  No, I love the job I have and people I work for so I’ll try and keep it another year.”

*  Florida State top dog Jimbo Fisher attempted to nix rumors tying him to Auburn.  “I’m very happy right here.  I’m content to be here, this is where I want to be.  We’re building something special.  We’ve got great players.  We’ve got great players to come and be here.  It’s a great place to live, my family is set up in this community, and I plan on being here a long time.”  He also, however, admitted that “it’s inevitable” that coaches move and that he has no idea who his agent — Jimmy Sexton — has been talking to… before repeating: “But I’m very happy.  I’m very content.  I want to be here.”  Fisher has also been tied to the Tennessee job.

*  While he was at it, Fisher took the time to deny a CBS report from the weekend that claimed Seminole defensive coordinator Mark Stoops had already interviewed for the Kentucky job.

*  Boise State head coach Chris Petersen — the college version of Jon Gruden — has once again been tied to every current job opening and every possible job opening in the country this week.  But he says all of it is just a bunch of rumors.  “It is not even kind of (a distraction) because it’s just rumors.  That’s all I really want to say about this, and I say it every year.  It’s just rumors… I don’t even think half the time its reporters.  Everybody’s a reporter these days.  Everybody’s got an opinion on a blog or something like that.”  Petersen has most recently been connected to the job at Arkansas.

*  NC State AD Debbie Yow said yesterday that Vanderbilt’s James Franklin is not a candidate for the Wolfpack job, despite the fact that the two had texted recently and that she once named him coach-in-waiting at Maryland.

*  Alabama’s Nick Saban said yesterday that no one has called him to ask for permission to chat with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart yet.  “But if they do, I always talk to the person and let them know that somebody’s expressed interest.”

Finally, Missouri AD Mike Alden put the kibosh on internet rumors that Gary Pinkel would step down today.  Asked if Pinkel would be back in 2013, Alden said yesterday: “Of course.  Absolutely… I have a lot of confidence in Coach Pinkel.  I don’t have any question about that.”

Pinkel — whose meeting with the media this morning — said last evening that he’s raring to turn things around at Mizzou.  “I’m high-energy.  Let’s get back to work and get this thing going.”

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher will be staked out in front of his television on Saturday night, watching two old colleagues battle one another in Gainesville.

Fisher served as Nick Saban’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at LSU.  During four of his six seasons in Baton Rouge, Fisher worked with fellow assistant Will Muschamp.  That gives him some special insight into this weekend’s clash between unbeaten Alabama and unbeaten Florida.

“I think you have two coaches who know how the other thinks,” Fisher told a Birmingham quarterback club yesterday.  “Experience helps.  And so does having the best players.  Will has enough experience.  We’ll see.”

“Alabama is playing so well, right now, defensively.  Florida’s got a lot of good players.  It’s going to be a heck of a ballgame.”

The line on Saturday’s game opened with Bama as a five-point favorite.  The line now has the Tide by four.

If you take a look at the coaching staff for the 2003 national championship-winning LSU Tigers, you’ll see a lot of familiar names:


Nick Saban — Head Coach

Kirk Doll — Linebackers

Derek Dooley — Special Teams/Running Backs

Jimbo Fisher — Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Stan Hixon — Wide Receivers

Travis Jones — Defensive Line

Will Muschamp — Defensive Coordinator

Stacy Searels — Offensive Line

Lance Thompson — Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator

Tim Walton — Defensive Backs


Nick Saban, of course, has moved on to Alabama where he won another national crown last season.

Derek Dooley just finished his first season as the head coach at Tennessee.

Jimbo Fisher took Florida State to the ACC Championship Game in his first season as head coach in Tallahassee.

And Will Muschamp has just taken over the head coaching duties at Florida.

That’s four coaches off of one staff who’ve gone to become head coaches at other Southern powers.  Not bad for one staff, huh? 

Makes you wonder how that bunch ever lost a game to Ron Zook and Florida that year.

Here’s an odd little nugget — new Florida coach Will Muschamp and almost-as-new Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher actually own a beach house together.

The two coaches have been friends since working together on Auburn’s staff in 1995 and 1996.  They served together again on Nick Saban’s LSU staff in the early-2000s. 

At some point along the way they decided to split a beach house together.

“I bet you a Florida and Florida State coach have never shared a beach house,” Fisher told ESPN. 

I bet not.