AU COACHING SEARCH: Jacobs interviews TCU’s Patterson

Athletic director Jay Jacobs and members of the Auburn leadership team touched down Thursday evening around 5:55 p.m. at the Robert G. Pitts Airport in Auburn, returning from a daylong trip to Fort Worth, Texas, where they reportedly interviewed Texas Christian’s Gary Patterson.

Auburn was scheduled to interview the eight-year Horned Frogs head coach sometime Thursday, according to ESPN.com. TCU is located in Fort Worth.

Jacobs, associate athletic directors Mark Richards and Tim Jackson and Auburn radio sideline reporter Quentin Riggins, a former Auburn player, popped their heads out of the plane before immediately boarding an SUV, which waswaiting for them on the tarmac. Jackson took over the wheel and zipped the party away down the opposite end of the runway and out of the airport parking lot.

TCU has not commented on Patterson’s suspected flirtation with other jobs.

The administrators opted not to use one of Auburn’s jets, instead flying on an 8-passenger jet registered to Warren Manufacturing Inc. The Birmingham-based company sells agricultural vehicles and trailers.

The group departed Thursday morning from Auburn at 5:44 a.m., according to FlightAware.com. Originally scheduled to leave Fort Worth at 3 p.m., the chartered jet did not take off until 4:07 p.m., making for a roughly eight-hour stay.

Patterson has racked up 72 victories in eight seasons with the Horned Frogs, including five seasons of 10 or more wins. TCU went 10-2 this season and is set for a date with undefeated Boise State in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Patterson, 48, got his coaching career started 26 years ago at Kansas State. He was the defensive coordinator for two seasons at New Mexico State before arriving at TCU for the 1998 season. He was named head coach at TCU before the Mobile Alabama Bowl in December 2000, replacing Dennis Franchione, who left to become head coach at Alabama.

Another potential Auburn candidate, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz, issued a statement Thursday to take his name out of the running for the opening at Syracuse. He did not, however, take his name out of contention for other possible openings.

“While it is always flattering for others to have an interest in your abilities, I simply am too focused on our preparations for the bowl game and many other of our short and long-term goals to fairly evaluate what I feel is a promising situation at Syracuse,” Holtz said in the statement. “I appreciate Syracuse’s interest but that certainly is a direct reflection on what our players, coaches and the Pirate Nation have been able to accomplish, especially through a season that featured so much adversity.“

A spokesman at ECU said Auburn had not sought permission to speak with Holtz.

ESPN.com, citing multiple sources, reported Thursday evening that the Orange would name New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone as head coach today.

Buffalo coach Turner Gill, who interviewed for the Auburn job early in the week, was considered near the top of the list for the job at Syracuse.

“Maybe my work is done here, I don’t know that,“ Gill said Thursday at a news conference to promote the International Bowl in Toronto — hours before Syracuse reportedly hired Marrone — according to the Associated Press. “There’s some things that are probably going to happen, but I don’t know when.“

| 737-2561