FAYETTEVILLE — Former San Francisco 49ers Coach Steve Mariucci told CBSsports.com late Sunday that he had not heard about Internet reports citing his interest in the vacant head coaching job at Arkansas.
Mariucci, 56, was said to have interest in the Arkansas job by the web site coachingsearch.com. But told CBSsports.com that he has not been contacted by Arkansas officials.
“I just had a few phone calls from my son and a few friends asking what’s going on and to be honest I hadn’t heard about it,” Mariucci told the CBS site’s Dennis Dodd. “It comes as a complete surprise to me.”
Mariucci, a Michigan native, last coached in college at California in 1996. He is a two-time head coach in the NFL, leading the 49ers to a 60-43 record from 1997-2002, and the Detroit Lions to a 15-28 record from 2003-2005.
Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long fired Bobby Petrino for cause on April 10 and has not determined if he will hire an interim or permanent head coach from the current staff or bring in someone from outside the program. It is unlikely Long will make a decision until after the Razorbacks’ spring game on April 21.
Mariucci currently works as an analyst for the NFL Network.
Sports, Pages 15 on 04/16/2012