USC's Steve Sarkisian is added to Washington's coach list

A Washington coaching search cloaked in secrecy grew only more intriguing Wednesday.

Sources confirmed that USC offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian had interviewed for the job, while there were also varying reports on Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach. Leach is confirmed to have been in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday for an interview.

If he came in for a second interview — as was reported in several places — it would indicate the seriousness of his candidacy.

Leach, however, was also linked Wednesday with the Auburn job, which came open when Tommy Tuberville was let go as coach of the Tigers.

And his current school, Texas Tech, was said to be read ready to fight tooth and nail to keep him in Lubbock.

Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said earlier in the day the school would give Leach an extension and a raise to keep him in Lubbock. One source, however, said Leach was intrigued by the idea of living in a more metropolitan city and the challenge of leading a school like Washington that is perceived to be No. 1 in its state opposed to Texas Tech, long perceived to be third or fourth fiddle to other schools in its state.

Leach has been coach at Texas Tech for nine years and has gone 76-38, having turned the Red Raiders into a national power.

Leach is one of two sitting head coaches confirmed to have interviewed with UW. The other, Fresno State's Pat Hill, was said to be wanting a decision soon with his team set to begin practices for its bowl game today. Hill interviewed on Saturday for the job.

But according to The Fresno Bee, Bulldogs recruit Derek Carr, younger brother of NFL quarterback David Carr, was told by Hill on Wednesday that he would return as Fresno State coach next season.

Sarkisian, meanwhile, was a new name to the list.

Sarkisian, a former star quarterback at BYU who played and lost at Husky Stadium in 1996 — the only defeat for a Cougars team that finished 13-1 — has been the offensive coordinator at USC the past two seasons. He was a candidate for the Raiders job last year before it went to fellow USC assistant Lane Kiffin, who earlier this week was named head coach at Tennessee.

There was also even more confirmation on Wednesday that the next coach would not be Jim Mora.

Despite a statement on Oct. 31 that he would not be a candidate, rumors had continued to swirl about Mora, who has signed a contract to be the Seahawks' next coach.

But the matter seemed to be put to official rest Wednesday when KJR-AM, citing comments from Mora's good friend Hugh Millen, announced that Mora would not be the next UW coach.

Sources had indicated to the Times throughout the search that talks never grew serious with Mora, who was reluctant to pull away from his Seahawks deal.

Two sources also told the Times that the Huskies may have talked with Brent Venables, who is the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners. Venables also interviewed at Clemson.

Venables has been the co-defensive coordinator at OU since 1999 and associate head coach since 2004.

One coach who seems out of the running is Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose candidacy had seemed to take off when he said in an interview on KJR-AM he would definitely listen if Washington called.

Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen was named head coach at Utah State on Wednesday and a report in the Salt Lake Tribune indicated that Whittingham was staying because Andersen would have been a natural heir apparent at Utah if Whittingham were leaving.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com