N.C. State Coach Reportedly Tops List to Replace Dooley; Russell Withdraws

While Georgia Southern Coach Erk Russell on Tuesday took himself out of the running for the Georgia football job, North Carolina State Coach Dick Sheridan apparently has gone to the top of the list.

Georgia’s search committee met with Sheridan earlier in the day at Commerce, Ga., the Associated Press reported. A source, who asked not to be identified, told the AP that he thought the job was Sheridan’s to accept or reject.

In a prepared statement, both Charles Knapp, university president, and Robert N. Bishop, head of Georgia’s search committee, expressed disappointment that Russell had withdrawn but denied his claim that he was offered the job.

Russell, 62, said he turned down the job because he does not want to make a 4-year commitment to any college and believes that kind of pledge should be a prerequisite of the successor to retiring Vince Dooley.

“I can’t give you a reason or several reasons. At this time, I am simply not willing to make that kind of commitment to Georgia, Georgia Southern or anyone else,” said Russell, who is in Montgomery to coach in the Blue-Gray All-Star game.

Russell said the decision not to accept the Georgia coaching job was “a tough, tough thing for me to do.”

He declined to speculate about his future coaching plans. He said he has no commitment to continue coaching at Georgia Southern. But Russell said that does not mean he will not coach at the Statesboro, Ga., school in 1989.

Sheridan, 47, has a 19-13-2 record in 3 years at North Carolina State. He is a native of North Augusta, S.C., about 90 minutes from Athens, Ga.

A spokesman for the North Carolina State Sports Information Office said Sheridan was out of town Tuesday and would not be available for comment about any contact with Georgia officials.

Meanwhile, Denver Bronco Coach Dan Reeves, a Georgia native, said he has been contacted about the job, but declined to pursue it.