Indications are that Middle Tennessee State head football coach Rick Stockstill will interview for the vacant East Carolina position. Speculation in some quarters that he interviewed for the job on Saturday is inaccurate.

As athletics director Terry Holland indicated in his press conference on Friday, Saturday was devoted to holding discussions with members of former ECU coach Skip Holtz’s staff. During those meetings, the assistants were given the opportunity to express their interest for candidacy.

However, ESPN college football writer Joe Schad reported Saturday that Stockstill would interview for the position, and a source very close to the ECU search confirmed that he will. It’s not clear exactly when the two sides will talk.

Stockstill just completed his fourth season in Murfreesboro, finishing with a 10-3 record that included a regular season win over Maryland and a victory over Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Blue Raiders averaged 32 points and 421 yards of offense per game this year, which ranked second and third respectively in the Sun Belt Conference.

Stockstill is widely recognized as one of the best recruiters in the country and is specifically familiar with the recruiting terrain in the Southeast.

He also has been credited for building a very good staff at Middle Tennessee, with offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and defensive line coach Les Herrin — who served as defensive coordinator at ECU under Art Baker from 1985-1987 — among his assistants.

Stockstill served as offensive coordinator at East Carolina under John Thompson in 2003 before departing for South Carolina the following season.

In four seasons at Middle Tennessee, Stockstill has compiled a 27-23 record and guided the Blue Raiders to the only two bowl trips in program history.