Kurt Roper reportedly out of the running for Rice position

As coaching search season continues to dominate the college football landscape, the South Carolina Gamecocks got in on the action when offensive coordinator Kurt Roper was linked to the Rice head coaching job. Roper, a former Owl, was one of three candidates in the running, with the other two being Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren and Stanford defensive coordinator Lance Anderson.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Owls have made their choice: Bloomgren is their man. Rice athletic director Joe Karlgaard is a Stanford alum, so Roper was likely at a considerable disadvantage from the start of this process.

While Roper is currently staying put in Columbia, college football’s game of musical chairs isn’t quite over yet. For now, though, it seems likely Roper will be calling plays in the bowl game and in 2018.