Franchione, Alabama Talk

Texas Christian Coach Dennis Franchione talked with Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore on Thursday about the Crimson Tide’s coaching vacancy.

Franchione told the Associated Press that he spoke with Moore on the phone Thursday morning and met with him in person Thursday night.

Earlier, Franchione said he had not been offered the job but indicated that he’s intrigued by the opportunity.

“All I said when he called me is that there is a group of people that I’m not interested in,” said Franchione, whose name has been linked to many recent openings.

He said he liked the idea of coaching the Crimson Tide.

“You know how much I enjoy the tradition of college football,” he said.

Alabama also is reportedly pursuing Pittsburgh Coach Walt Harris. Longtime Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has openly campaigned to be a candidate.

“I kind of want to see how this goes,” Franchione said. “A lot of different things could come out of this meeting. It could be completely over with tonight. Maybe not.”

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Boise State Coach Dirk Koetter, the Big West Conference coach of the year the last two seasons, will be the next coach at Oklahoma State, according to broadcast reports. Koetter has guided the Broncos to a 9-2 record this season. They will play in the Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 28. Last year, Boise State finished 10-3, including a victory over Louisville in the Humanitarian Bowl. . . . Miami defensive coordinator Greg Schiano agreed to coach Rutgers, accepting the task of turning around a football program that has won only 11 games in five years. Schiano, one of Division I-A’s youngest coaches at age 34, will take over a program that has gone 11-44 the last five seasons, including 4-30 in the Big East Conference. Schiano reportedly was being offered $500,000 annually. . . . Gary Pinkel agreed to a five-year contract worth about $900,000 a season to coach Missouri. Pinkel comes to the Tigers, who have had only two winning seasons in 17 years, from Toledo. . . . Memphis defensive coordinator Tommy West was promoted to head coach. West was 31-28 as head coach at Clemson from 1993-98 before coming to Memphis in December 1999. . . . Temple Coach Bobby Wallace has signed a three-year contract extension that keeps him with the Owls through the 2005 season. Terms were not released.

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Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey intends to sue the police who arrested him on charges he beat an off-duty officer unconscious.

Casey, cleared by a grand jury in the attack, has filed a notice of claim, required at least six months before lawsuits against public institutions. It lists the Hoboken, N.J., police department, police Chief Carmen LaBruno and Officer Joseph Taglieri.

Casey, who is from Hoboken, and a friend were accused of beating off-duty Officer Patrick Fitzsimmons on May 14. The grand jury indicted the friend, Desmond Miller, on assault charges.

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Travel agents in South Florida are rooting against a matchup of Florida State and Miami in the Orange Bowl.

Most of the fans of the two schools live within driving distance of Pro Player Stadium in Miami, where the game will be played Jan. 3 to determine the national champion.

If the two Florida schools are involved, the tour operators who bought hotel rooms and airline seats with hopes of reselling them at profits of up to 30% said they could lose more than $4 million because most fans aren’t likely to stay in South Florida before the game.

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Junior receiver Freddie Mitchell and junior linebacker Robert Thomas were co-winners of UCLA’s Henry R. “Red” Sanders Award, given to the team’s most valuable player. . . . Zac Colvin, a sophomore quarterback at Colorado who lost his job after starting the first two games of the season, is seeking a release from the Buffaloes so he can transfer to Southwest Texas State. . . . Drake University will keep its Division I-AA program, ending nearly two months of uncertainty. In making the announcement, President David Maxwell said football is part of a long tradition at the school and benefits the entire university.