If Tubby Smith is, in fact, interested in the Auburn job and on the verge of taking it, he’ll have to go back on his word and disappoint plenty of Minnesota fans on his way back to the South.

Smith, shortly after the Gophers were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, dismissed the rumors of his link to the vacancy at Auburn on Friday, as Internet rumors swirled that the Tigers’ coaching search would be over within a week of Jeff Lebo’s firing.

“Obviously, that’s just talk,” Smith said. “I’m pleased with what we’ve accomplished here. I’m pleased where we are in the program. I’m looking forward to coming back to Minnesota.”

Smith, who has also been linked to the openings at Oregon and Georgia Tech — should the Jackets’ job come open — was then asked if he had been offered a job by any other school.

“Nope,” he said. “No, I haven’t.“

Dennis Dodd, a college basketball reporter for CBSSports.com, wrote early Friday that Auburn was “close to hiring” Smith away from Minnesota. He added, though, “it could be nothing.”

Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he’d heard the rumors about Smith’s link to the Auburn job, but hadn’t yet been formally contacted by Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs.

Jacobs, who has declined comment throughout the search, said last week he would “go through the front door” during this search, and would not talk to coaches until the end of their respective seasons. Jacobs certainly did that during Auburn’s football coaching search last year, as most athletic directors of coaches who were interviewed verified that Jacobs asked and received permission.

Maturi also told the Pioneer Press that he’d be unable to give Smith a raise during the offseason because of the school’s recently enforced wage freezes. Smith currently makes $1.75 million per season, which ranks third among Big 10 coaches. That salary would make him the fifth-highest paid coach in the SEC, right behind Alabama’s Anthony Grant, who makes $1.8 million per year.

“Right now there’s a salary freeze at Minnesota, so from a raise standpoint it would be very challenging for me to do that immediately,” Maturi told the newspaper. “I think Tubby understands that because, frankly, if it were about money, then he will be offered more money by other institutions. That’s a fact. Somebody will offer him $3 million. We can’t pay him $3 million.”

Jacobs has said the new Auburn coach will make a salary that is competitive in the SEC market. Lebo, who has been reported as the top candidate for the open head coach position at East Carolina, made $785,000 per season, the lowest among SEC coaches.

Auburn, if it is, in fact, interested in Smith, will reportedly have some competition from Oregon, which also has an opening and a new arena set to open next season. The Ducks are reportedly prepared to offer Smith more than $2 million per year, but that was before athletic director Mike Bellotti’s abrupt resignation Friday.

“We can’t match that. We won’t begin to try to match that,” Maturi told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “We’re trying to keep Tubby by allowing him to have the right staff, support staff, travel the right way, stay at the right places, (have a) recruiting budget and a practice facility. Those are all of the things I can control and am working hard to accomplish.“

Smith has moved around quite a bit during his 19 years as a head coach, but he’s found success at every stop.

His loss Friday dropped him to 450-185 overall. He’s made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances during stops at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota. After his resignation from Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to the 1998 national championship, Smith took over in 2007 at Minnesota, where he’s won at least 20 games in all three seasons.

Smith has won at least 20 games in the past 17 seasons. Auburn has had four 20-win seasons during that stretch.

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