Sources close to NIU head football coach Jerry Pettibone gave little credence to published reports the Huskie boss is being considered for head coach of the dormant Southern Methodist football program.

A Huskie staff member said December is the prime season for rumors of head coaching switches to get started, and administrators at SMU are most likely kicking around names of who will head their program when an NCAA “Death Penalty” ban for recruiting violations is lifted in 1989.

Newspaper reports in El Paso, Texas, listed Pettibone among four names to watch for the Mustang top job.

A family member speculated Pettibone’s name popped up because he is well known in the South, having been raised in Dallas and educated and trained for coaching in Oklahoma.

owever, the family member guaranteed Pettibone was not looking to leave NIU or go to SMU.

Pettibone has spent the better of the past two weeks on the road recruiting and was unable to be reached for comment Tuesday.

Pettibone recently completed his fourth season as Huskie coach and owns an 11-21-1 record. In the summer of 1986, he turned down an opportunity to return to Oklahoma as Athletic Director, citing his commitment to the NIU program.