CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia turned to the task of finding a new football coach Monday, and the Mountaineers already have at least one very interested candidate — Terry Bowden.

Bowden, 52, who grew up in Morgantown, has been out of coaching since quitting at Auburn during the 1998 season. His hunger for coaching has been regenerated in recent years and has made it known he would like to return to West Virginia, his alma mater.

"I made a full commitment to get back into coaching almost two years ago. Coming home to West Virginia would obviously be the dream job for me," Bowden said in a statement released by his publicist.

It wasn't known whether Bowden had contacted West Virginia after Rich Rodriguez was named coach at Michigan on Sunday. Bowden and WVU athletic director Ed Pastilong didn't immediately return telephone messages Monday.

Bowden's father, Bobby, coached the Mountaineers from 1970-75, going 42-26 before leaving for Florida State.

Like Rodriguez, Terry Bowden was the nation's youngest head coach when he took his first job at NAIA Salem in 1983. He won two West Virginia Conference championships in 1984 and 1985 and coached at Samford from 1987 to 1990, building the Bulldogs into a top Division III and I-AA program before taking over at Auburn in 1993.

His first two Auburn teams won 20 straight games, including an 11-0 season in 1993, and he had 47 wins over six seasons before resigning on Oct. 23, 1998, after learning he was to be fired at the end of the season following the team's 1-4 start.

Bowden is a college football analyst on radio and the Internet. His brother, Clemson coach Tommy, had hired Rodriguez as his offensive coordinator at Tulane in 1997. Rodriguez followed Tommy Bowden to Clemson in 1999.

In addition to hiring a new coach, Pastilong also must name someone to lead No. 11 West Virginia (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 against No. 3 Oklahoma (11-2).

It won't be offensive coordinator Calvin Magee or secondary coach and recruiting coordinator Tony Gibson. Rodriguez introduced them at his Michigan news conference.

Rodriguez said he wouldn't coach the Mountaineers in the bowl because he didn't want to be a distraction.

"The attention should be on the team. But I have not talked to West Virginia University about that," he said.

Rodriguez's $4 million buyout clause in his West Virginia contract still must be worked out. When Michigan lured basketball coach John Beilein away from West Virginia last April, his contract had a $2.5 million buyout clause. Under an agreement with West Virginia, Beilein agreed to pay $1.5 million to the WVU Foundation.