CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Larry Fedora has declined publicly to dispel speculation about whether he might be interested in the head coaching vacancy at Tennessee, but a recent conversation with Fedora left one of his recruits convinced he’ll remain the Tar Heels coach.

Jordan Fieulleteau, a wide receiver at Wakefield High in Raleigh, told The News & Observer that he spoke with Fedora for about 10 minutes earlier today. Fieulleteau had been concerned, he said, amid speculation that Fedora might interview for Tennessee job.

Fieulleteau said he initiated the phone call with Fedora.

“I was just like, you can be straight-up with me,” Fieulleteau said. “I was like, I committed to you, and the school, so I just feel like – let me know, are you going to leave? And he was like, ‘No. That’s all rumors.’

“He plans on staying at UNC for many years to come and [told me] not to worry about it, not to listen to what everybody else is saying.”

Fieulleteau committed to UNC in February. According to Rivals.com, he also had scholarship offers from Duke and ECU, and he had received interest from N.C. State, Rutgers and other schools.

Fieulleteau said Fedora downplayed speculation about his job status, and that he did the same when Fieulleteau visited the UNC campus last weekend.

“I had talked to him on Saturday when I was up at UNC, and the rumors had already been started by then so I was just asking him. He was just like, I plan on staying at UNC the rest of my career, you know. I mean, he wants to build something at UNC.”

Fieulleteau said he spoke with Fedora for about 10 minutes. Fieulleteau left the conversation, he said, feeling completely convinced that Fedora would remain the Tar Heels’ coach.

“I know he’ll honor his word. He’s a man of his word. You can’t just talk to a kid and tell him – not make him a promise, but tell him something and then go back on your word. So I’m 100 percent confident that he’ll stay at UNC.”