Amid speculation that he was contacted to interview for the open coaching job at Auburn, Ball State coach Brady Hoke denied anything of the sort Sunday.

ESPN.com’s Joe Schad reported Sunday that Hoke would be interviewing for the job, but Hoke told The Star Press of Muncie, Ind., that he had not been contacted by Auburn.

“I’m not meeting with anybody,” Hoke told The Star Press. “That report is false. No schools have contacted me.”

Hoke led the Cardinals to a 12-0 undefeated record before losing to Turner Gill’s Buffalo Bulls in Friday’s MAC Championship game.

Before the 2007 season, Hoke wasn’t exactly on the most solid of grounds in Muncie. He was 15-31 in four seasons before going 7-6 in 2007. Hoke was reportedly interviewed for the open Michigan job before this season.

* Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson did not want to comment Sunday night about the speculation surrounding his alleged candidacy for the opening at Auburn.

“I don’t have any comment on it,“ Johnson said on a Sunday night Chik-fil-A Bowl teleconference. “I don’t like to talk about that stuff. I’m too busy recruiting for Georgia Tech. We’re just trying to get ready for this bowl game.“

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that Johnson is set to meet with Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich this week to discuss his contract. After six seasons as the head coach at Navy, Johnson signed a seven-year contract worth a minimum of $11.225 million, an annual average of about $1.6 million. 

* The Tallahassee Democrat reported Sunday that Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher met with the school’s president and athletic director and told them he was staying.

President T.K. Wetherell said Auburn likely can’t match the money Florida State would throw at the Seminoles’ “coach in waiting.” Fisher’s buyout stands at $5 million, Wetherell said, and Seminole Boosters, Inc., must pay Fisher $2.5 million if he is not named FSU’s head coach by Jan. 11, 2011.

“I don’t think they have $25 million up there,“ Wetherell said.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs will be in New York this week for the National Football Foundation’s awards dinner and College Football Hall of Fame inductions.

Gill is the only candidate to officially interview for Auburn’s open coaching position.

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