Make that two native sons who in one week have spurned their home-state university, and on this second occasion West Virginia officials yesterday reputedly helped to poison their own deal.

Florida State coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher last night declined West Virginia's official offer made earlier yesterday to become its next coach, a bid that the Fisher camp felt differed considerably from the one extended the night before.

Fisher apparently was poised Saturday night to accept the job and succeed gone-to-Michigan Rich Rodriguez as coach, after detailed discussions with West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong.

Sources said the Mountaineers' Saturday offer consisted of both a certain salary plus the $2.5 million buyout Fisher would have to pay Florida State under the coach-in-waiting contract he signed barely one week earlier.

Yesterday, when other West Virginia officials became involved in the talks, the offer changed, sources said: Take either a lower salary plus the full buyout amount, or a higher salary without it.

Meantime, Florida State put an all-out blitz on Fisher, 42. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Fisher, believed to be ready to leave the Seminoles as of yesterday afternoon, and Florida State president T.K. Wetherell, on holiday in Montana, spoke by telephone at least three times. The paper said they discussed the program's direction and the decision-making process until the retirement of Florida State legend and onetime Mountaineers coach Bobby Bowden, whom Fisher is contractually bound to replace.

"I know media reports are circulating regarding the possibility of West Virginia's head coaching position," Fisher was quoted as saying in a statement released shortly after 8 p.m. yesterday, at least an hour beyond the extension his camp requested, and received, from Mountaineers officials who made their earlier offer with a dinnertime deadline for a decision, one source said.

"I am a native of West Virginia and love the state, but I want to make clear that I am staying at Florida State. I am committed to this university, this program and these players. I am excited about where I am and where Seminole football is headed."

So where does that leave the Mountaineers' search? Taking a Christmas break, by all accounts.

West Virginia administrators had hoped to make an announcement today, but apparently they will again slow down the search for Christmas and resume the process at the earliest Wednesday, when the Mountaineers players and remaining coaching staff reconvene in Phoenix for the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl. The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette cited sources as saying the interview process has not been completed.

ESPN/ABC announcer Terry Bowden -- who coincidentally coached Fisher at Salem (W.Va.) College, was his head-coaching boss at Samford and Auburn, and remains close to him as a Florida State consultant -- seemingly edged out Florida assistant head coach Doc Holliday as West Virginia's next leading candidate by week's end. Florida State assistant head coach Rick Trickett and Central Michigan coach Butch Jones also interviewed. Interim head coach Bill Stewart has received public endorsements for the job, too.