New Mexico State athletic director McKinley Boston said the search for a new football coach is going well.
"There has been a great deal of interest and there are no shortage of good candidates,"
said Boston on Monday afternoon. "I've been happy with how things are going."
Boston said plans are on track to have a recommendation to NMSU interim president Waded Cruzado by Christmas. Boston said last week he had hoped to have six to eight candidates interviewed.
Boston spent the past few days on the road looking at possible candidates and is expected back in Las Cruces tonight.
The Sun-News reported last week that UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker and Southern Cal linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. had interviewed for the job.
But Norton turned down NMSU's overtures, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
New Mexico State defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn, NMSU acting head coach Charley Johnson and NMSU running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Earnest Wilson all have said they were interested in the head coaching job.
Other names that have popped up in the coaching search are Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson, Oklahoma offensive assistant coach Jay Norvell and Nebraska recruiting coordinator Ted Gilmore.
The Aggies are looking for a coach to replace Hal Mumme, who was dismissed last Tuesday after four years on the job.
Boston appointed Johnson as the acting head coach, and Wilson is helping Johnson with the day-to-day operations until a new coach is named.
The new coach will inherit a team that went 3-9 in 2008 and lost its last seven games. The team also loses several key offensive stars, including quarterback Chase Holbrook and wide receiver Chris Williams, who was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference performer.
The new coach also willinherit a schedule that features non-conference games at San Diego State, Ohio State and New Mexico, and a home game against UTEP.
