Report: Brooks Hired as Coach at Kentucky

Former NFL coach Rich Brooks was in Kentucky on Saturday night amid a report the Wildcats had asked him to become their football coach.

CBS Sports said Kentucky had picked Brooks, who guided the St. Louis Rams in 1995 and 1996.

Reached at the couple’s home in Oregon, his wife, Karen, told Associated Press that he was in Kentucky, but would not say whether the job was his. A call to Brooks’ cell phone was not immediately returned.

Brooks Downing, media relations director at Kentucky, said he couldn’t confirm or deny the CBS report and said he didn’t know Brooks’ whereabouts.

Downing said that Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart would make an announcement concerning the coaching job by Monday at the earliest.

Saturday, Grambling State Coach Doug Williams said Kentucky had offered the job to someone -- but not him.

Williams, a former Super Bowl most valuable player as quarterback of the Washington Redskins, was in the running for the job. He said Barnhart told him the school had selected another person.

Brooks guided Oregon to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 37 years, when the Ducks lost to Penn State in 1995. He is Oregon’s career victories leader with 91 in 18 seasons.

Brooks was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2000.

Guy Morriss resigned Dec. 9 as coach at Kentucky to become coach at Baylor.

*

Karl Dorrell met with Idaho Coach Tom Cable on Saturday, the first of at least four interviews the new UCLA coach will conduct this weekend with prospective assistants.

Cable, who was on the Colorado staff with Dorrell in 1998, said earlier this week that he has a standing offer from Dorrell to become offensive coordinator. Steve Axman of Washington and Jon Embree of Colorado also are offensive coordinator candidates, although both have said they are not inclined to leave their current jobs.

Dorrell met with six UCLA assistants Friday, but did not meet with defensive coordinator Phil Snow.

As many as four of the current Bruin assistants could be retained. Dorrell wants to hire six assistants by Jan. 2 to bolster recruiting efforts and have his entire staff of nine assistants assembled by Jan. 10, when several recruits are scheduled to make campus visits.

*

Six Fresno State players are ineligible for the Silicon Valley Football Classic on Tuesday at San Jose because of academic problems.

A Western Athletic Conference rule requires athletes to pass at least six credits to play in a bowl game.

The Fresno Bee identified them as defensive end Nick Burley, linebacker Sam Williams, receiver Marque Davis, cornerback Demorieux Reneau, left guard Fitu Tu’ua and linebacker David Adamo. All but Adamo are starters.

*

Former Michigan State coach Bobby Williams, who was fired Nov. 4, will receive $490,000 this week as part of his termination agreement of $550,000, approved last month.