UAB Says No-La. Tech Now Focuses On Jimbo

Apparently, UAB is no longer in the picture regarding Fisher. According to the Birmingham News,UAB's top choice for its head football coaching vacancy - LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher - was nixed before school administrators had a chance to talk with him Thursday.

UAB's search committee of interim Athletics Director Richard Margison and associate ADs Brian Mackin and Lee Moon was scheduled to travel to Baton Rouge on Thursday morning to conduct an official interview with Fisher.According to the paper,"the trip was pushed back a day at one point on Thursday and eventually canceled after the University of Alabama Board of Trustees expressed concerns that hiring Fisher would be too costly."

The News Star in Monroe, Louisiana is reporting that Jimbo Fisher is now the major focus of Louisiana Tech University. According to the paper, Fisher makes a total package in the $450,000 range at LSU. Louisiana Tech paid their former coach, Jack Bicknell only in the $200,000 range, "but the school and its fund-raising arms are ready to put together a salary package in the neighborhood of $600,000 for Fisher, according to Wiley Hilburn, who is the head of Tech's journalism department and a member of its athletic council."

Hilburn said he attended a meeting with other athletic council members as the search began in which Reneau said: "Don't rule out any salary,"for a football coach. The original thought of La. Tech was that they couldn't afford somebody like Jimbo Fisher. However, apparently the powers to be have put together a competitive salary package.