Ohio State Reportedly to Hire ASU’s Cooper; Kansas Job to Mason

Arizona State’s John Cooper will be the next Ohio State football coach, and Kent State Coach Glen Mason will take over at Kansas, according to newspaper and broadcast reports Tuesday.

The reports indicated that Mason would be introduced as the Kansas coach today.

The Columbus Dispatch reported in today’s editions that Ohio State will offer the Buckeyes’ coaching position to Cooper tonight after the Sun Devils play Air Force in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim.

Ohio State Athletic Director James Jones, reached at home Tuesday night, declined to comment on the report.

At a news conference earlier Tuesday, Cooper said: “I have a great job here. If it happens that they choose me to go to Ohio State, so be it. If not, that’s OK.”

Mason could not be reached for comment on reports that he will go to Kansas.

Kent State spokesman John Wagner said the university has not heard from officials at Kansas.

Officials at Kansas said they had no announcement planned.

The hiring of Mason also was reported Tuesday night by radio station WTVN-AM in Columbus, television station KSNT in Topeka, Kan., and in the today’s editions of the Topeka Capital-Journal.

The Capital-Journal said Mason received a five-year contract worth more than $200,000.