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Source: YSU search to continue with new candidate
Source: New candidate
to interview on Sunday
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
It looks like Youngstown State’s football coaching search will stretch through the weekend.
As YSU waits for Bo Pelini’s next move, the school plans to interview at least one more candidate in person on Sunday, a university source said late Thursday night.
The source did not identify the new candidate but joked, “Unless [New England Patriots coach] Bill Belichick calls and says he wants the job, this will probably stretch through at least the weekend.”
Pelini was in consideration to be the next head coach at Wisconsin, but the Badgers will reportedly hire Pitt coach Paul Chryst, who was Wisconsin's offensive coordinator from 2005-11. The Badgers’ previous coach, Gary Andersen, left for Oregon State this week after the Beavers’ previous coach, Mike Riley, left for Nebraska to replace Pelini, who was fired last month.
Pelini could emerge as a candidate at Pitt.
Eastern Kentucky coach Dean Hood is also a finalist for the YSU opening. Former YSU assistant coach Brian Wright, who is the offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic, has removed himself from consideration, a source said Friday.
YSU is also interviewing candidates from Division II and Division III, the source said.
YSU’s preference is still to hire Pelini, a Cardinal Mooney High graduate who went 67-27 in seven seasons with the Cornhuskers. But with Pelini drawing interest elsewhere, the Penguins want to make sure they have a solid Plan B.