Sources from two Kansas newspapers said Sunday that NIU football coach Jerry Pettibone is most likely back in the race for the head coaching job at Kansas State.

This comes in the wake of reports this weekend that Pettibone had been eliminated as a possible candidate.

The NIU coach said Sunday that he had not been contacted since Friday morning, when KSU Associate Athletic Director Larry Epps told Pettibone he was not one of the finalists.

“I have not heard a thing since Friday,” Pettibone said.

Pettibone, who has twice been a candidate for other coaching jobs since coming to NIU in 1985, said he was not bothered when KSU informed him he was no longer a prospect for the job.

“When they made a decision that I was not a finalist,” Pettibone said, “that didn’t upset me. Last year, I had basically the same thing happen. Not to the same degree, but I was contacted by Southern Mississippi. I look to that as a compliment to the hard work of our coaching staff and our team.”

Pettibone has coached the Huskies to an 18-25-1 record in four years. Kansas State is 0-10 this season under third-year coach Stan Parrish.