Temple athletic director disputes reports that Steve Addazio is a candidate for the Rutgers job

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw calls reports that Owls football coach Steve Addazio is a candidate for the Rutgers opening a "nonstory."

Multiple reports have put Addazio among the leading candidates for the Scarlet Knights job, which opened up Thursday when Greg Schiano was hired by the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Rutgers coaching search appears to be moving at a rapid pace with Wednesday's national signing day fast approaching. Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti has made no secret that he would like to hire a coach by then in order to keep the 2012 recruiting class intact.

Kyle Flood, who was named Rutgers' interim coach since Schiano's departure, was interviewed for the position on Saturday, according to an Associated Press report. He said that none of the 17 high school players who committed to Rutgers had changed their minds.

"As of now, everyone who committed to us from the beginning is still committed to us. And we intend on keeping it that way," Flood said Saturday.

Rutgers' recruiting class includes several players from South Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Bradshaw indicated he doesn't think Addazio will leave Temple.

"He's our head coach," Bradshaw said Saturday before the Temple-St. Joseph's men's basketball game at the Liacouras Center. "And he told me that we are going to have one of the best recruiting classes Temple's ever had on Wednesday."

Other sources close to Temple's programs also said the first-year coach was not going to Rutgers.

Bradshaw would not comment when asked if Pernetti contacted him to receive permission to speak to Addazio.

"I'm not going to comment about somebody else's search," Bradshaw said. "I never comment about that."

Addazio has been busy with recruiting, according to Temple officials, and could not be reached for comment. He even hosted several recruits this weekend at Temple's North Broad Street campus.

Contact staff writer Keith Pompey at 610-313-7081 or kpompey@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/pompeysgridlock Read his blog at www.philly.com/OwlsInq