Holtz on Syracuse radar

ECU coach says reports of job agreement are inaccurate

East Carolina football coach Skip Holtz is expected to meet with Syracuse athletics director Daryl Gross in New York City today or Tuesday, but Holtz insisted Sunday that he has not agreed to take the Orange job.

In Charlotte on Sunday to speak at the Bronko Nagurski Trophy banquet, Holtz said news reports that he had accepted the job were "inaccurate."

"I have not met with them at this point from a formal standpoint," Holtz said. "You never say never in this business because you don't know. But I've said in order for me to leave Greenville, it's going to have to be a special situation."

Holtz, who doesn't have an agent, and Gross are scheduled to be in New York today and Tuesday to attend the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame ceremonies. Lou Holtz will be inducted, as will former Syracuse star quarterback Don McPherson.

ESPN, citing information from Lou Holtz, reported Sunday that Skip Holtz and Gross would meet.

"I told [ECU AD Terry Holland] that before I ever formally interview with anybody that he and I will talk," Skip Holtz said. "He said, 'Obviously we're going to be in New York not only with Syracuse but with other jobs that are open. I'm not going to tell you to turn and walk away from an AD but if you go through something formally, please let's talk about it."

Holtz has a 29-21 record in four seasons with the Pirates, who defeated Tulsa 27-24 on Saturday to take the Conference USA championship.

ECU (9-4) will play against Kentucky (6-6) of the Southeastern Conference in the Jan. 2 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn.

Also mentioned as possible Syracuse targets are Buffalo coach Turner Gill and New York Giants assistant Kevin Gilbride.

Outside Conference USA in the 2009 season, the Pirates are scheduled to play at West Virginia and North Carolina, with games in Greenville against ACC champ Virginia Tech and Appalachian State.

(Ron Green Jr. and A.J. Carr contributed to this report.)