Ohio State Pursues Minnesota’s Mason

Minnesota has given Ohio State permission to talk to Golden Gopher Coach Glen Mason about the Buckeyes’ coaching position.

“[Ohio State Athletic Director] Andy Geiger said he’d like to talk to our football coach, and I said I was not going to stand in the way of doing that,” Minnesota Athletic Director Tom Moe said Friday. “I don’t know any more than that.”

The Buckeyes fired John Cooper Tuesday, one day after the Buckeyes’ 27-7 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

Moe said he had “no idea” when Ohio State officials would contact Mason. But, Moe added, “If there’s anything I can do to see that he stays, I will.”

Mason, a former Ohio State player, recently signed a seven-year contract with Minnesota worth about $1 million a year. His contract has no buyout clause, but if he leaves before the end of the deal he would forfeit an incentive package worth about $2 million.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh denied Ohio State’s request to talk to Coach Walt Harris. Harris, who in four seasons has coached Pitt to its only two bowl appearances in 11 years, was Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach and was once offered the offensive coordinator’s job before being hired by Pitt in 1997.

Considered one of college football’s best offensive coaches, Harris was long known to be interested in the Ohio State job. However, when Cooper was fired, Harris said he was happy at Pitt and wasn’t looking to leave.

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North Carolina State officials are negotiating to keep their offensive coordinator, Norm Chow, from switching to USC.

Chow, who recently interviewed with new USC Coach Pete Carroll, has been offered a raise and a one-year contract rollover to remain with the Wolfpack, officials said. He is already well-paid by college football standards, earning $165,000 a year.

The Trojans are interested in Chow because of the high-scoring, spread offense he instituted at North Carolina State and because of his earlier work at Brigham Young, where he coached quarterbacks such as Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer.

While looking at a number of possibilities, Carroll has kept mum about assembling his staff, saying only that he expects to announce hirings early next week and hopes to have most, if not all, of his assistants in place by the time recruits arrive on campus for official visits next Saturday.

Carroll announced Friday that he would retain assistant Kennedy Pola, who will switch from running backs coach to outside linebacker coach.

Meanwhile, the Trojans have learned they may be without kicker John Wall next season. Wall moved into the starting lineup as a freshman, but he missed the Washington State and UCLA games with an injured groin muscle.

Then, the week before the Notre Dame game, he tore a ligament in his knee during a pickup basketball game. Though he underwent surgery two weeks ago, he may have to redshirt next fall.

That would leave the Trojans with senior kicker David Newbury, who lost his job early this season. USC is also expected to have Trevor Lancaster, a Bakersfield College kicker who made honorable mention on the J.C. Grid-Wire All-American team. Lancaster committed to the Trojans last month.

Another potential addition, tailback Justin Fargas, was scheduled to meet with Carroll on Friday. The former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star has left Michigan after three seasons and is expected to transfer to USC, where he would have a season of eligibility after sitting out a season.

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Michigan quarterback Drew Henson said he will return for his senior season. Henson led Michigan to a 9-3 record and No. 11 final ranking, throwing for 2,146 yards and 18 touchdowns. . . . Claude Bassett, Kentucky’s former recruiting coordinator, acknowledged that he committed NCAA violations when he sent $1,400 in money orders to a Memphis high school football coach. . . . Minnesota cornerback Willie Middlebrooks will give up his senior season to make himself eligible for the NFL draft. . . . Don Lindsey, a former assistant at USC, was named defensive coordinator at Mississippi. . . . Miami’s mascot won’t be disciplined for running onto the field during a touchdown celebration in a 37-20 win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

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Staff Writer David Wharton contributed to this story.