UPDATE - 3 big name football coaches interested in IU

INDIANAPOLIS - David Cutcliffe, Frank Solich and John Cooper -- three out-of-work coaches -- have expressed interest in Indiana's vacant football coaching job.\nEach told The Associated Press that they missed the profession and would consider returning to the sidelines, possibly in Bloomington. None of the three, however, said they had been contacted by Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan.\nIndiana spokesman Pete Rhoda said the school does not comment on any potential candidates that an eight-member search committee named Monday is considering.\nCutcliffe was fired by Mississippi on Dec. 1 -- the same day Greenspan fired Gerry DiNardo. Cutcliffe coached both Peyton and Eli Manning in college and went 44-29 in six seasons with the Rebels.\nAfter spending one week away from the recruiting trail, Cutcliffe already wants to return.\n"I'm pretty eager," Cutcliffe said Tuesday. "I love the contact with the kids and the recruiting. I didn't know how much I'd miss it. ... Any time you have a chance to take over a program and make it better, it's exciting."\nSolich went 58-19 in six seasons at Nebraska before being fired, at age 59, in November 2003.\nHe has not coached since, but Solich interviewed last year for the job at Army, where Greenspan also served as athletic director. He later withdrew from the search, and Greenspan eventually hired Bobby Ross.\nBut Solich's passion for the game has not waned. He spent this year traveling the country to study college and professional teams so he could use a more balanced offense in his next job.\n"It was a valuable time for me because I wanted to see what other teams were doing on offense," he said. "All that did was fuel my fire to get back into it."\nCooper, who went 111-43-4 in 13 seasons at Ohio State, spent this year doing color commentary and studio work on television and said he has already been contacted by a "prominent" Indiana alum.\nHe has not, however, heard from Greenspan or the search committee. Three years ago, Cooper also was interested in the Indiana job and he said Tuesday that he still missed coaching.\n"Somebody called me from down there and I told them that if Rick is interested, to have him call me," said Cooper, who is 67. "At my age, any job I took would have to be a perfect fit. I'd listen, though."\nSpeculation has also centered on two other Ohio coaches -- Bowling Green's Greg Brandon and Miami's Terry Hoeppner.\nHoeppner did not return messages left by The Associated Press at his office and home. He signed a five-year contract extension with Miami last year after leading the RedHawks to their first Mid-American Conference title since 1986.\nBrandon, a former assistant at Colorado and Northwestern, was preparing to play Memphis in the GMAC Bowl on Dec. 22 and said Indiana officials had not yet spoken to him. He declined further comment on the Hoosiers' opening.\nThis year marks the first time since 1992 that the Falcons have reached bowls in consecutive seasons, and Brandon has had success running an offense similar to Purdue's.\n"We spread the field and try to take advantage of mismatches," he said. "We try to make people cover."\nThe Hoosiers are searching for their fourth football coach since 1996. Indiana has not produced a winning season since 1994 and has gone 11 consecutive years without a bowl bid.\nAt last week's news conference, Greenspan said he wanted someone who was dynamic, energetic, passionate about the game and ambitious to win.\nGreenspan took over at Indiana in September and this will be his first high-profile decision.\n"I don't believe in quick fixes," Greenspan said then. "The goal for us is to build a viable program that is highly competitive and attractive to recruits and our fans."\nCutcliffe, Solich and Cooper all believe it is am ambition that can be achieved at Indiana.\n"I think with the right support, the right people, the right president and the right athletic director, you can win," Cooper said. "I think it takes a commitment, but I don't think you can do it in two or three years"