Reliable but conflicting sources Thursday night paint a puzzle whether Auburn coach and Camden native Tommy Tuberville will or won't be the Razorbacks'next head football coach.

Some media and Internet outlets reported Thursday night that Tuberville likely will be named at the University of Arkansas to replace Houston Nutt.

Some sources, while not claiming it's a done deal, said Thursday night Tuberville appears close to accepting a UA offer.

However other sources who have proven reliable in the past insist that Tuberville, because of hefty financial considerations (including a $ 6-million buyout ) is not in the mix of coaches considered by incoming Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long.

Long doesn't officially replace retiring Arkansas athletics director Frank Broyles until Jan. 1 but was called upon by UA Chancellor John White to conduct the search to replace Nutt.

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Nutt resigned Monday after 10 years coaching Arkansas and was named last Tuesday as the head coach at Ole Miss.

Ironically, Ole Miss is where Tuberville coached when he and Nutt were the coaches the UA Search Committee most considered before Nutt was named in December of 1997 to replace Danny Ford.

Tuberville's name has been bandied about this year when Nutt was just rumored to be leaving. He's been widely considered one Arkansas would seek once Nutt's resignation became official.

However during halftime of Wednesday night's Arkansas-Missouri basketball game, Long seemed to dismiss Tuberville as a presently considered candidate without mentioning him by name.

" I will say that many reports about an SEC West coach are extremely premature, not only premature but fantasy, " Long said Wednesday night.

The Mobile Press Regis- ter reported Thursday that Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs has not been contacted by Arkansas for permission to talk to Tuberville.

" I haven't been contacted by Arkansas and I can't imagine them hiring somebody without talking to me first, " Jacobs told The Press Register.

Does he expect Tuberville to remain at Auburn ?

" Yeah, based on our conversation Tuesday, " Jacobs was quoted. " It was a great meeting. We both want the same thing. "

Another coach widely reported as an Arkansas possibility, Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, publicly denied interest in the Arkansas job to media after the Raiders practiced Thursday.

Kiffin's father, Monte Kiffin, a longtime NFL defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Bucs, was Arkansas' defensive coordinator from 1977-79 under Lou Holtz.

Tuberville, Auburn's coach since 1999, has been back in Arkansas duck hunting at Stuttgart this week.

He is three years into a seven-year contract with Auburn but has been negotiating restructuring the contract and was to meet with Auburn officials again.

Much like Nutt at Arkansas, Tuberville has had a mostly successful run at Auburn marked by turbulence at times.

In 2003, Auburn officials went behind Tuberville's back while he was still coaching to discuss with then Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, currently the head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, the possibility of becoming Auburn's head coach.

When it became public that a flight to see Petrino indeed had occurred, it ultimately caused both the Auburn president and athletics director to resign.

Tuberville then coached Auburn to a 13-0 SEC championship season in 2004 with the Tigers finishing second nationally only to undefeated Southern California.

His current Tigers are 8-4 and bowl-bound like the Razorbacks.

Arkansas is currently scheduled for its bowl to be coached by Reggie Herring, the defensive coordinator promoted to interim coach.

Herring had his first team meeting Thursday as the interim head coach.

Bowl pairings are to be announced Sunday.