San Diego State AD Says Miami Hasn’t Talked to Him About Job

San Diego State Athletic Director Fred Miller said Thursday that two people close to the University of Miami have contacted him about that university’s vacant athletic director’s job, but said they have not been formal inquiries and he has not been interviewed.

“I’ve had a few calls, but that’s about the extent of it,” Miller said from Nashville, Tenn., where he was attending the NCAA convention. “Calls from people who know I’m close friends with (former Miami AD Sam Jankovich). I know my name has surfaced.”

Miller declined to say who called him, other than to say one of the two is employed by the university.

“They were just saying, ‘Fred, you should be interested in this situation,’ ” he said.

The Miami Herald reported this week that the university has yet to talk with Miller but that he was one of more than 20 candidates for the job. Jankovich resigned as Miami’s athletic director to accept a position as chief executive officer of the New England Patriots Dec. 20.

Paul Dee, the vice-president and general counsel of the University of Miami as well as interim athletic director, refused to discuss names. Dee, one of three members of the Miami athletic director search committee, said the university has not formally interviewed anyone and wouldn’t begin to make those plans until next week.

“We have called a lot of people and visited with a lot of people,” Dee said, also from Nashville. “We’ve visited with literally hundreds of people, on the phone and in person.”

Miller, 59, said he has not spoken with Dee nor with David Lieberman, vice-president of business and finances at Miami and the chairman of the Miami search committee.

Miller has been athletic director at SDSU since Dec. 3, 1985.

“I’m happy where I am,” Miller said. “I don’t intend to pursue it.

“We’ve invested five hard years in San Diego. We see the San Diego State program turning. Miami is a great job with great possibilities. They’ve got their problems, but they’ve got a hell of a lot of answers for them.”

While he says he doesn’t intend to pursue it, he didn’t say what he would tell Miami if the university pursues him.

“I don’t talk in hypotheticals,” Miller said. “This is a strange world. Anything I say can be twisted back and forth. I know my talents. I have a high energy level, and I know college athletics. I can’t predict the future.

“I’m happy in San Diego. I like my president. I like my football coach. I like my basketball coach. Our offices even got renovated. Things are coming together. The program is ready to break through.”