NEW YORK -- Notre Dame has contacted Utah coach Urban Meyer about its coaching vacancy and was to meet with him Thursday, the New York Times reported.
the school contacted Meyer, a former Notre Dame assistant, on Wednesday, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed source. The story did not say where the meeting would take place.
John Heisler, Notre Dame's associate athletic director, would not comment to the Associated Press or say if athletic director Kevin White was in South Bend.
Utah athletic director Chris Hill told the AP he wouldn't comment on the report, but that his school would attempt to keep Meyer, who helped make the Utes a high-profile team in just two seasons. This year, Utah is poised to become the first team from a mid-major conference to crack the Bowl Championship Series.
"There's a lot of things we can do, and we'll do everything we can to make this right," he said.
Utah defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham, a candidate for the job when Meyer was hired two years ago and a possible replacement, said Meyer had not mentioned a Notre Dame meeting to his assistants, many of them on the road recruiting.
"I just know Urban Meyer is one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country right now. We'll see where he is when the dust settles," said Whittingham, who could also be a candidate for the coaching vacancy at BYU.
Whittingham said he believed Meyer would be at Thursday afternoon's practice.
Messages left for Meyer were not immediately returned.
Meyer was the receivers coach at Notre Dame during 1996-00, leaving the school for his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.
He quickly turned around the Falcons, going 8-3 and 9-3 before moving to Utah in 2003. The Utes were 10-2 last season and are 11-0 this season and ranked fifth in the nation.
Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham as football coach on Tuesday after he posted a 21-15 record in three seasons.
Meyer received a contract extension last summer that included a clause allowing him to leave Utah without penalty if he is hired as head coach at Michigan, Ohio State or Notre Dame.
the school contacted Meyer, a former Notre Dame assistant, on Wednesday, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed source. The story did not say where the meeting would take place.
John Heisler, Notre Dame's associate athletic director, would not comment to the Associated Press or say if athletic director Kevin White was in South Bend.
Utah athletic director Chris Hill told the AP he wouldn't comment on the report, but that his school would attempt to keep Meyer, who helped make the Utes a high-profile team in just two seasons. This year, Utah is poised to become the first team from a mid-major conference to crack the Bowl Championship Series.
"There's a lot of things we can do, and we'll do everything we can to make this right," he said.
Utah defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham, a candidate for the job when Meyer was hired two years ago and a possible replacement, said Meyer had not mentioned a Notre Dame meeting to his assistants, many of them on the road recruiting.
"I just know Urban Meyer is one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country right now. We'll see where he is when the dust settles," said Whittingham, who could also be a candidate for the coaching vacancy at BYU.
Whittingham said he believed Meyer would be at Thursday afternoon's practice.
Messages left for Meyer were not immediately returned.
Meyer was the receivers coach at Notre Dame during 1996-00, leaving the school for his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.
He quickly turned around the Falcons, going 8-3 and 9-3 before moving to Utah in 2003. The Utes were 10-2 last season and are 11-0 this season and ranked fifth in the nation.
Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham as football coach on Tuesday after he posted a 21-15 record in three seasons.
Meyer received a contract extension last summer that included a clause allowing him to leave Utah without penalty if he is hired as head coach at Michigan, Ohio State or Notre Dame.
