SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The on-again, off-again search for a new West Virginia football coach seemed to take a day off yesterday, again. Yet this quiet period does not necessarily mean the process stalled ... again.

After Central Michigan first-year coach Butch Jones interviewed Thursday with first-year president Mike Garrison, he is believed to have moved atop a search leader board that previously listed Florida assistant head coach Doc Holliday and Florida State coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher in the No. 1 position.

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Fiesta Bowl

• Who: West Virginia (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (11-2).
• When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.
• Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
• TV: WPGH.

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If West Virginia administrators decide to hire Jones, the West Virginia receivers coach in 2005-06 under Rich Rodriguez, or anyone for that matter, they have a small window in which to unveil someone.

They could conceivably introduce a new Mountaineers coach at a news conference today in Morgantown, W.Va., or in Arizona tomorrow, when Garrison, athletic director Ed Pastilong and other staff members are scheduled to arrive for the 11th-ranked Mountaineers' Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. Failing that, a New Year's Eve announcement seems the latest they could go before game day, lest they derail a team emotionally and mentally sidetracked most of the month by the Pitt loss and Rodriguez's exit to Michigan.

It also is possible Rodriguez's replacement will not be announced until after the Mountaineers return home.

"Pat Kirkland?" Mountaineers football communications director Mike Montoro announced aloud yesterday afternoon, inquiring if media already interviewing players and coaches at the Scottsdale Community College practice site wanted to talk to this thirtysomething fellow in a blue, West Virginia bowl sweatsuit. A better question: Who is Pat Kirkland?

As it turns out, he, along with former Mountaineers safety Jahmile Addae, are the interim co-cornerback coaches, replacing gone-to-Michigan secondary coach Tony Gibson.

"I was very excited about the opportunity," said Kirkland, an Ohio native and Muskingum man in his second year as a defensive graduate assistant. He focused on defensive backs last season, outside linebackers last spring and safeties this fall under assistant Bruce Tall, who took on additional safety-coaching chores in Gibson's absence.

Kirkland, 32, spent five seasons as Glenville State's defensive coordinator, where he ran across Gibson at West Virginia Tech. Addae, 24, returned to the Mountaineers this year as a video graduate assistant.

It should be noted that cornerback is a position third-ranked Oklahoma figures to test thoroughly. The Sooners ranked second in major-college football with a 173.5 passing efficiency and first with 25 scoring plays of 20 yards or more -- 14 of those being pass plays of 40 yards or more.

Joked kicker-punter Pat McAfee of Plum, the subject of death threats and vandalism after he missed two first-quarter, field-goal attempts in the Pitt loss: "Old Coach Rod took the target right off my back and put it on his. That was nice of him. I really appreciate that." More seriously, the junior McAfee deemed himself better after what he called his worst kicking day and said support he received from Mountaineers fans along with fellow kickers -- NFL players such as ex-Pitt punter Andy Lee and kicker Joe Nedney sent him messages. ... West Virginia officials returned about 7,000 tickets of their 17,500 Fiesta allotment, though the school is expected to pay $1 million for that remainder. The tickets will be donated to charities to pass out, and the game is listed as a sellout. ... The Board of Governors officially is the West Virginia branch that filed a lawsuit in Monongalia Circuit Court Thursday, seeking a judge to rule in its favor that Rodriguez breached their contract. Rodriguez's camp, which contemplated a similar movement since his departure, has 20 days to respond -- which likely will delay the first installment of his $4 million buyout, $1.33 million, due 30 days after his departure. Interesting to note that the suit was launched before a new coach is named. ... All-America left offensive tackle Ryan Stanchek missed the first 20 minutes or so of practice yesterday to perform extra conditioning, a spokesman said.