ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. — Pat Hill is the subject of rumors once again.

This time, the Fresno State football coach is supposedly a candidate for the Iowa State opening.

The Internet rumors are false, Hill said Thursday.

Two days before his Bulldogs play Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl, Hill said he is not a candidate for the Iowa State job — or any other job.

"I'm not involved in any other jobs or job searches," he said as his team prepared for Saturday's New Mexico Bowl. "End of conversation, period. . . . I'm just trying to keep my job in Fresno.

"No, I'm not flattered at all (by the suggestion). I just want to coach this game."

This is nothing new for Hill. His name has emerged several times in job searches throughout his 12 seasons at Fresno State.

Hill, who led the Bulldogs to a 7-5 season and their ninth bowl in 10 seasons, interviewed for the now-filled head coaching slot at the University of Washington less than three weeks ago.

After losing to Boise State 61-10 to end the regular season in November, Hill was asked if he'd been contacted by Washington and he said no.

He flew to Seattle the next morning.

After the 2005 season, when Hill and the Bulldogs nearly took down USC, Hill entertained several NFL jobs. He said he interviewed with four teams. Back then he wouldn't identify which teams but it was confirmed that he met with the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams and was at least contacted by the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers.

Hill, though, never received a job offer.

Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood, a self-proclaimed "big-time Pat Hill fan," talked to Hill about the opening at Arizona in 2000 but didn't describe it as an interview.

He understands why Hill — 92-60 at Fresno State — is an attractive candidate. One of Hill's qualities, Livengood said, is his confidence in the ability of his players and coaches that leads him to take on all comers.

"I like the way he handles kids," Livengood said. "For me, that's really a big deal. I love the idea that he's worldly enough, that he loves the game, loves to coach but everything doesn't have to be about football. There are other things going on in life as well. I love the attitude."

Another reason Hill's name keeps coming up is he is well-connected.

Hill coached under three-time Super Bowl Champion coach Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the early 1990s and also served under San Jose State coach Dick Tomey, one of the winningest coaches still active in the Football Bowl Subdivision, while at Arizona in the early '90s.

Belichick still thinks highly of his old assistant.

"He's always done a great job of coaching his players, getting them to perform as well as they can," Belichick said. "I don't want to say overachieve because I think that's a misnomer, but perform to a high level, perform up to its potential.

"From working with Pat in Cleveland, he was a great help to me there both in terms of coaching and X's and O's and that kind of thing, but also in terms of finding talent and developing players. We developed a lot of young offensive linemen there at Cleveland."

Hill also served with other known figures in Cleveland: Baltimore Ravens general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome and Alabama coach Nick Saban.

It is believed Saban recommended Hill to Washington. Saban was hired by current Washington president Mark Emmert in 1999 to coach at Louisiana State and also worked at LSU with current Washington athletic director Scott Woodward. Saban won the national championship at LSU in 2003.

Former New Mexico and Houston athletic director Rudy Davalos said recommendations could play a role when administrators make hires.

"If the recommendation comes from someone who is tied to those people it means a whole bunch," he said.

Speaking about Saban's influence, Davalos said the Washington administration would "darn sure listen."

So far, it's only been rumors on the Internet and elsewhere that have linked Hill to Iowa State. There's been no indication of any contact between Hill and the school.

"It's frustrating because my name's in a lot of things but those are in blogs and a lot of other stuff," Hill said. "I was very upfront with everybody when I went to Washington. That's the only one I've interviewed on for a college job in 12 years."

Hill said the interview in Seattle was something he needed to do. "I did exactly what I said I was going to do. There was a time for it and that was a time for it and that's it. I'm not involved in any other jobs or job searches. That's just football. There's a million names all over the place."

It just so happens that one of them seems to be Pat Hill.