Attempts to reach Johnson, a North Carolina native and Western Carolina graduate, and his agent Jack Reale of Atlanta were not immediately successful.

Duke athletic director Joe Alleva is looking for a replacement for Ted Roof, who was fired on Nov. 26 after going 6-45 in four-plus seasons with the Blue Devils.

Johnson, 50, is also considered among the candidates for coaching vacancies at Georgia Tech and Southern Methodist.

Johnson has been a popular, possible interviewee for such jobs in recent years. His name recently was mentioned along with Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe as a candidate for the Nebraska job.

A year ago, he was among those considered when N.C. State and North Carolina went searching for new coaches.

Among other possible candidates for the Duke job, Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said Monday that he would listen if Duke or any other school came calling with a job offer.

"I always remain open to talk to people because I am interested in being a head coach again," Cutcliffe said.

Cutcliffe, 53, is heavily involved in recruiting for the Volunteers at the moment and said he had not been contacted by Duke. He also said he would not contact Duke or campaign for any job.

Cutcliffe is an intriguing possibility because he helped develop the Manning family quarterback franchise, coaching Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Tennessee and then New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning as head coach at Ole Miss.

Among other possible names to consider for the Duke job is Grambling State coach Rod Broadway, who coached at N.C. Central.

Broadway's roots, as a North Carolina player and former assistant at UNC, Duke, Florida and East Carolina, and his recent success at NCCU and Grambling State, make him a possible candidate.

Attempts to reach Broadway, 52, were unsuccessful.

Alleva has said Duke wanted, and would pay, to hire a coach with Bowl Subdivision head coaching experience.

Johnson was 62-10 as the head coach at Division I Championship Subdivision Georgia Southern.

Moving up to the Bowl Subdivision in 2003, Johnson's Navy teams are 45-29 with five straight bowl berths in Johnson's six seasons at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Cutcliffe, now in his second stint as a Tennessee coordinator, went 44-29 and 4-1 in bowl games in six seasons at Ole Miss (1998-2004).

Broadway has not yet served as a head coach on the Bowl Subdivision level.

He did lead the Eagles to back-to-back CIAA titles in 2005 and 2006 while going 33-11 in four seasons at Division II NCCU before taking the Grambling job in the Championships Subdivision in January 2007.

Grambling, 8-3, plays Jackson State for the Southwestern Athletic Conference title on Dec. 15.