FAYETTEVILLE — A Northwest Arkansas television station and a weekly news magazine’s Web site reported Thursday night that Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville will be named the next head football coach at Arkansas.

A source close to Tuberville said late Thursday that a deal had not been struck.

Arkansas Business’ online site and KNWATV of Fayetteville cited “multiple” anonymous sources as saying Tuberville will be the next Arkansas head coach.

Asked to comment about the reports, UA Chancellor John White wrote in an e-mail message: “We will not be commenting on rumors, since there is no end to doing so.”

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Tuberville, who was duck hunting with friends in Arkansas on Thursday, is a candidate to replace Houston Nutt, who resigned Monday after compiling a 10-year record of 75-48 with the Razorbacks. Nutt was introduced Wednesday as head coach at Ole Miss.

Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs told the Mobile (Ala. ) Press-Register on Thursday night that Tuberville was still Auburn’s coach. Jacobs told the paper he had not been contacted by Arkansas.

“I can’t imagine them hiring somebody without talking to me first,” Jacobs told the Press-Register.

One of the sticking points to any deal between Arkansas and Tuberville centers on a $ 6 million buyout clause in his contract with Auburn, which Jacobs has described as “ironclad.”

When asked by the Press-Register if there was any way to get around the buyout, Jacobs said: “I don’t know of any way possible that could happen.”

Tuberville’s only public comment Thursday came on his weekly Tiger Talk radio show, which was taped in advance.

“I’m not looking to go anywhere,” Tuberville said on Tiger Talk.

But Tuberville told listeners he would take his time in negotiations with Auburn about improving facilities.

“We’re not going to run and jump through this,” Tuberville said. “I’m looking to make sure that people understand for us to get better, this program needs to take some steps in some areas for us to improve.”

Any agreement with Tuberville appeared a long way off Wednesday night. Incoming Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long seemed to indicate that reports linking Tuberville to the Razorbacks’ search were premature.

“I won’t narrow it that far, but I will say that many of the reports about an SEC West coach are extremely premature and actually aren’t even premature, they’re fantasy,” Long said.

Tuberville, 53, had been negotiating with Jacobs this week relating to many facets of the Auburn program. But Tuberville and Jacobs did not meet Wednesday, as expected, and Tuberville headed to Arkansas for Thursday’s duck hunting trip. Tuberville is expected back in Alabama today to attend a high school playoff game, according to reports in Alabama.

Tuberville is completing the third season of a seven-year contract he received after Auburn’s 13-0 run in 2004. His salary this season was $ 2. 6 million, and is scheduled to increase to $ 2. 8 million next season and average out to $ 3. 1 million over the remaining four years.

Jacobs referred to the buyout clause in Tuberville’s contract as “ironclad” as late as last week. However a source close to the situation said Auburn might be willing to negotiate a reduction or removal of the buyout under the right circumstances.

Another potential candidate in the Arkansas search, Oakland Raiders Coach Lane Kiffin, shrugged off interest in the Razorbacks ’ job for the second consecutive day.

“I covered that yesterday,” Kiffin told reporters Thursday. “I don’t know anything about that and we’ll get ready for Denver.”

Later, Kiffin was asked to clearly say if he had no interest in the Arkansas job, to which he replied “Yeah.”