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Mueh: Shortlist 'is every coach in the NCAA'

Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 16, 2006 at midnight

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AIR FORCE ACADEMY - Athletic director Hans Mueh wants to find a new Air Force football coach as soon as possible, and he's willing to interview anybody.

Mueh said Friday he would consider all Air Force assistants for the job, left vacant by the retirement of coach Fisher DeBerry, and for positions on the new staff.

"My shortlist is every coach in the NCAA," Mueh said. "My mind is wide open when it comes to future coaches. We will interview anybody that is interested. I would assume after we identify a new head coach that many of the members of Fisher's staff will be strongly considered."

Mueh expects to have a long list of candidates and has a timetable for naming a new coach that is dwindling as fast as the shopping days to Christmas.

"In my perfect world, I would love to have this done before the holidays," Mueh said. "Whether or not I can pull that off, I don't know.

"We would like to have a coach as soon as possible. The only reason I say that is because we're into recruiting season and it is vital that all of those contacts that our current assistants have made continue to be contacts and we follow that up. The quicker I can identify a new coach and a staff for the future, the better off this program is."

Possible candidates include Houston Texans offensive coordinator Troy Calhoun, a former player and recruiting coordinator with Air Force.

Other possible candidates in the early speculation include Notre Dame defensive line coach Jappy Oliver, a former Air Force assistant, and Wake Forest offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke, a former Air Force player and graduate assistant.

"We aren't excited to see coach DeBerry go, but we are excited to see who comes in," safety Bobby Giannini said. "We walked out of the room after coach (DeBerry) was done still choked up, but the question was, 'Who is going to be the coach?' "

Giannini said Mueh talked with the players but didn't reveal his plans.

"He's got a couple prospects, but he didn't tell us anything," Giannini said.

Mueh hired Jeff Bzdelik as basketball coach after Chris Mooney resigned after the 2004-05 season, and he hopes to find a similar replacement for DeBerry.

"(Mueh) promised after the basketball coach left he would bring in a new coach and bring them more success than they had before," Giannini said. "He promised us the same thing. Coach Bzdelik is a great coach."

Quarterback Shaun Carney hopes the new coach has many of the same qualities as DeBerry.

"I would like to see a coach that brings some intensity to the table," he said. "Coach DeBerry did a great job of that. My class hasn't had a winning season yet. We'd like to get the next coach off to a good start. I'm excited and ready to embrace whatever comes our way."

Air Force is scheduled to have 12 starters return next season and 29 other underclassmen who were listed on the final depth chart.

"I hope we don't look at next year as being a rebuilding year," linebacker Drew Fowler said. "I don't want my senior year to be thought of like that. We have enough talent on this team to be competitive like we are every year.

"We just have to figure out how to win the close games."