Long Set to Take Control of Aztecs

Former Iowa quarterback Chuck Long is expected to become head coach at San Diego State after spending four seasons as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma.

The Oklahoman reported that a Gulfstream IV jet owned by Aztec booster and San Diego Padre owner John Moores arrived at Westheimer Field in Norman, Okla., Friday afternoon and picked up Long and his wife, Lisa.

Long’s hiring is expected to be announced at a news conference this afternoon after a team meeting that is scheduled for 12:30.

It is not clear if Long would continue coaching Oklahoma through the Holiday Bowl, Dec. 29 in San Diego.

Long, 42, would replace Tom Craft, who was fired Dec. 5 after going 19-29 in four seasons, including 5-7 this season.

He will inherit a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 1998, when it went 7-5 and played in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Aztecs have played in only two bowl games in the last 15 seasons.

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Dan Hawkins was introduced as Colorado’s coach, replacing Gary Barnett.

Hawkins got a five-year contract that will guarantee him $900,000 a year.

Hawkins, who met briefly with the Colorado players, will coach Boise State through its bowl game, Dec. 28 against Boston College. He will officially become Colorado’s coach Jan. 1.

Boise State moved quickly to fill its opening, promoting offensive coordinator Chris Petersen to coach.

Petersen will receive a five-year contract worth $2.5 million, pending approval from the Idaho Board of Education.

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Former Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill became the coach at Buffalo, taking over a team that perennially has been one of the country’s worst.

Since jumping to Division I-A in 1999 and joining the Mid-American Conference, the Bulls are 10-69 with no winning seasons.

Gill becomes the fifth black head football coach in Division I-A and the second hired this month after Kansas State hired Ron Prince to replace the retiring Bill Snyder.

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Jason Hunter returned a fumble for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and Appalachian State (12-3) won its first I-AA national championship by beating Northern Iowa, 21-16, at Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Panthers (11-4) led at halftime, 16-7, but failed to score in the second half.

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South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier announced that co-defensive coordinator John Thompson was on a leave of absence and would not be with the team for its Independence Bowl matchup with Missouri on Dec. 30.... Texas A&M; hired former Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell as defensive coordinator.

Mount Union (13-1) will be making its eighth trip to Division III championship game today when it plays Wisconsin Whitewater (14-0) at Salem, Va.... Carroll College (13-0) plays St. Francis (13-0) today in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics title game at Savannah, Tenn. It is a rematch of last season’s title game, won by Carroll, 15-13, Carroll’s third consecutive national championship.