Texas Tech To Hire New Coach

December 4, 1999 / 2:18 PM EST / CBS/AP

Clemson offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez is expected to become the next head coach at Texas Tech.

Quoting unidentified sources, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Saturday that Rodriguez will be offered the job unless something unexpected happens before 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Tech athletic director Gerald Myers and chancellor John Montford have confirmed Rodriguez, 36, is the leading candidate, but won't go beyond that because state law won't let them make an offer before 5 p.m. Tuesday 10 days after Spike Dykes announced his resignation.

Myers has said the three frontrunners for the job were Rodriguez, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mike Leach and New Mexico State head coach Tony Samuel.

But Samuel said Friday that he's withdrawn from contention, and Leach said he hasn't been interviewed and doesn't expect to be.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez was interviewed once in Dallas and has visited Lubbock twice, once with his wife.

"I'm personally impressed with Rich Rodriguez, and he certainly is the leading candidate," Montford told the newspaper.

Rodriguez, Leach and Samuel are three of nine candidates who "applied for and expressed interest in discussing" the open position, according to information obtained through an open records request filed by the newspaper.

The others were Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach Jim Bates, Miami Dolphins receivers coach Robert Ford, former Cowboys defensive back Charlie Waters, Troy State head coach Larry Blakeney, Navy offensive coordinator Mike Vaught and Navy assistant head coach Sammy Steinmark.

Rodriguez is serving his first-year at Clemson under head coach Tommy Bowden. He had been the offensive coordinator at Tulane under Bowden from 1997-98. He has eight years of head coaching experience in West Virginia at Salem and Glenville State.