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U eyes former Duke coach

By CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune

Last update: February 19, 2008 - 10:10 PM

Former Duke football head coach Ted Roof interviewed for the Gophers defensive coordinator job and appears to be the front-runner, according to several school officials.

Roof, who was on campus Tuesday, was fired at Duke after last season. He had a 6-45 record in five seasons at Duke, and was 1-23 the past two years.

Roof was hired by Louisville last month to coach linebackers.

Sources say former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, who recently took a job as an assistant coach at Florida, also was being considered for the job. However, a source close to McCarney said he doesn't believe talks with McCarney are serious.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster is moving quickly to replace Everett Withers, who resigned Monday to take the same position at North Carolina.

Roof has plenty of experience as a defensive coordinator. He served in that capacity at Massachusetts, Western Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke before taking over as Duke coach in the middle of the 2003 season.

Roof, a former all-ACC linebacker at Georgia Tech, had his most success as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater under George O'Leary. In 2000, the Yellow Jackets ranked 12th in the nation in rushing defense and 21st in scoring defense. They finished 32nd nationally in total defense the following season.