Duke offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is not going pro.
Yet.
The Denver Post reported last week that Heimerdinger was leaving Duke's staff to coach alongside his former college roommate, Mike Shanahan, who was recently named as the new head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Heimerdinger said Friday that he did fly out to Denver last Wednesday to interview with Shanahan about joining his staff as a position coach. He denied, however, that any contract had been offered.
"[The Denver Post] is just wrong," Heimerdinger said. "I interviewed for the job, but I definitely don't have a job [with the Broncos]. Coach Shanahan is going to interview a lot of people this weekend at the combine. We'll see how the chips fall after that."
The Broncos also said that the report of Heimerdinger's hiring was premature.
"The truth is--and I asked Coach Shanahan about this [last Thursday] night--he interviewed Coach Heimerdinger [last Wednesday] night, but he's also going to interview four or five other candidates," said Jim Saccomano, the director of media relations for the Broncos. "The fact that he was interviewed says that Shanahan thinks a lot of him. That he would fly him into the city says a lot of him.
"But nothing will be decided before next week. We'll see how it falls then."
Duke's coaching staff has already lost one of its top assistants this off-season. Defensive coordinator Craig Bohl resigned to become the linebackers coach for the National Champion Nebraska Cornhuskers. Blue Devil assistant Jeff McInerney was promoted to defensive coordinator to take Bohl's place. McInerney had been offered a similar position with Louisville.
The interest in Duke's assistants stems from the Blue Devils' success last season. Duke had its most successful season since 1989, going 8-4, including a loss in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
Heimerdinger was instrumental in that success. His offense increased its output by 13.2 points per game compared to the previous season. And this was done with largely the same cast of players.
"He's done a tremendous job for us," Blue Devil head coach Fred Goldsmith said.
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