ATLANTA — Auburn asked for and was granted permission to talk to University of Buffalo coach Turner Gill, according to published reports.

The Buffalo News reported Saturday that Bulls’ athletics director Warde Manuel spoke to an Auburn representative Friday.

Gill was out recruiting Saturday, according to the News, and was not available for comment.

Gill, in his third year at Buffalo, led the Bulls to an improbable, 42-24, victory over previously-undefeated Ball State in Friday night’s Mid-American Conference Championship. It was the team’s first-ever conference championship and the Bulls will be playing in their first bowl game in school history.

Prior to Gill’s arrival, Buffalo was one of the most abysmal programs in all of college football, winning just eight games from 2001-05 while notching the first- and second-longest losing streaks in Division I history.

Gill, a former quarterback at Nebraska, went 2-10 in his first season, but has gone 13-12 in the past two. He was named MAC coach of the year after the 2007 season and could be in line to win the award again this year.

Gill, 46, reportedly interviewed for the open job at Syracuse last week.

In other news about potential candidates, Florida State offensive coordinator, and “coach in waiting,” Jimbo Fisher denied that Auburn has contacted him since Tommy Tuberville’s
resignation.

“Auburn has not contacted me or my agent and we have not contacted them,” Fisher told ESPN.com. “I’m very happy at Florida State. I’m very content at Florida State and I’m happy to be here.“

Florida State’s President T.K. Wetherell told the Orlando Sentinel that Fisher “will not talk to Auburn.”

Another potential candidate, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson, could be the next coach in line to get richer at Auburn’s expense.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that Johnson will meet with Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich next week to discuss his contract. Johnson just wrapped up his first year with the Yellow Jackets, going a surprising 9-3.

Johnson originally signed a seven-year contract worth a minimum of $11.225 million, an annual average of about $1.6 million.

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