Duke is moving closer toward selecting a new head football coach, with a hire anticipated the week after Thanksgiving, according to sources in the Athletic Department.
Though the number of targets has been slowly decreasing in recent weeks, there is still not a definitive list of finalists, according to Duke's director of Sports Information, Jon Jackson.
"To say that there is a specific number of candidates at this point is inaccurate," he said.
But other than interim head coach Ted Roof, only speculation exists regarding the possible candidates that Duke athletic director Joe Alleva is seeking to fill the vacancy left by Carl Franks, who was fired a month ago.
"We're not in a position to comment on specific candidates right now," Jackson said.
Among the coaches that have been eliminated from consideration are former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel and ex-Ohio State coach John Cooper.
Speculation from the national media regarding possible Duke targets has focused mostly on unsupported assumptions and hypotheses. Still, many have expressed interest in the job, but no one has stepped forward admitting that Duke initiated discussion.
Yet the coaching search could very well begin and end with Roof, who has received vociferous support from his players, who have voiced their support for Roof in several interviews with the media. A Sports Illustrated last week reported that Duke's players had arranged a team meeting, at which they decided they wanted Roof to retain his current position, a sentiment that was then shared with Alleva.
The hunt for Duke's next football coach will be impacted by the outcome of Saturday's contest with rival UNC, a team Duke has not beaten since 1989.
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