Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Walt Harris leaves the University of Pittsburgh's practice facilities on the South Side yesterday after telling his players and assistants that he's heading to Stanford. Click photo for larger image. Pitt Football Coverage: Smizik: Pitt's search for coach has to be done right Walt Harris Timeline At Pitt

Pitt football coach Walt Harris, 58, has accepted the head coaching job at Stanford University and will be introduced at a news conference in Stanford, Calif., today.

But the Big East Conference's coach of the year won't leave Pitt until after the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. The Panthers (8-3) are Big East co-champions and will represent the conference in a lucrative Bowl Championship Series game at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 1.

Harris met with his players and assistant coaches yesterday at the UPMC South Side facility to inform them of his decision. Players and coaches then left without commenting on Harris' future, saying they were instructed not to talk about it until after Stanford makes its formal announcement today.

Likewise, Harris left the facility about 2 p.m. and would say no more than, "I can't speak today.''

Pitt athletic director Jeff Long and Chancellor Mark Nordenberg could not be reached to comment. Long was expected to hold a news conference on campus at 3 p.m. today.

Harris had two years left on his contract, but because the university had refused to renegotiate his contract this year, it was widely believed that this might be his final season.

Pitt, in fact, already had been working quietly to identify a short list of candidates.

The list is thought to include:

Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, 37. If the players have a vote, Rhoads would be the odds-on favorite. With the exception of last season, the Panthers' defense has been its strong suit. Players like Rhoads, he is respected by the other coaches and he is considered a brilliant young coach on the rise and an excellent recruiter. Of the members of the staff, he is probably the best prepared for the position given his age and his resume. He is clearly interested in the job and, if former athletic director Steve Pederson were still around, would be the favorite to get it.

Dave Wannstedt, 52, former Chicago Bears coach who was fired earlier this season as Miami Dolphins coach. A Baldwin native, he played at Pitt and is a former Panthers assistant. Wannstedt was a highly successful assistant coach in college and in the National Football League. With his NFL head coaching experience, his outgoing personality and his success as a recruiter, he could be the next Pete Carroll, who was a head coach for the New England Patriots and has guided Southern California to the BCS national championship game this year.

Carolina Panthers defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, 45, a former Pitt player and assistant coach. Sunseri seems to be the favorite among some influential alumni because of his resume as a recruiter at Pitt, Michigan State and Louisiana State University.

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, 37, a Youngstown native. Pelini is a hot, up-and-coming assistant and is said to be on the list of candidates among some in the Pitt administration..

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Tom Clements, 51, a McKees Rock native and a former Steelers assistant who was a candidate for the Notre Dame job. Clements played football at Canevin High School and is reportedly interested in the job.

Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, a Johnstown native and 1979 graduate of Penn State. He is a long shot because of his current association. But defense has not been the problem at Penn State and he is a brilliant recruiter. With his recruiting ties in Western Pennsylvania, he would give Pitt instant credibility with local high school coaches and players. One other issue may arise: Bradley is said to be a candidate for Penn State head coach when Joe Paterno retires.

A number of other names could surface, including some with Pitt ties such as New York Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh. Another name that may surface is Boston College offensive coordinator Dana Bible, who was at Miami (Ohio) and North Carolina State in the early 1980s while Long was at those schools as an athletic administrator.

The search for a new coach is not expected to be a long one. In the past, Pitt has been reluctant to pay big money for a coach -- which is what makes assistant coaches such as Rhoads and Pelini even more desirable -- but officials are willing to pay for the right person. Harris made between $500,000 and $600,000, which is about the median for BCS conference coaches.

Harris' first choice was to stay at Pitt and he was hoping for a contract extension, but the administration informed him recently that he would be let go when his contract expired. His eight-year record at Pitt is 52-43 with six bowl appearances.

Harris is a native of south San Francisco. He will be working again for Ted Leland, Stanford's athletic director who was previously the athletic director at Pacific. Leland hired Harris as that school's coach in 1989.

With much of the Pitt student body cramming for finals or recovering from them yesterday, news of Harris' pending departure was news, indeed.

Student reactions were generally supportive.

"I think he's kind of gotten a bad rap," Mike Boyd, 21, of Harrisburg, said as he and his friend, Stephanie Woloschan, watched the first half of the Steelers-Jets game at the Original Hot Dog shop in Oakland.

"He didn't get any support here. That's why he left," Woloshan, 19, of Moon, agreed.

Jeremy Tartt, an engineering student from Monessen, said the university was lucky to have had Harris.

"He took a mediocre team and built it to something respectable," said Tartt, 24.

Cory Newcombe, a waiter at Joe Mamma's restaurant, said he was impressed by Harris' success but that it was time for the coach and the university to move on.

"He was here for eight years. [Athletic director Long] probably wanted to have his own guy," said Newcombe, who fancies himself as a football expert because he graduated from the same high school, Titusville, as John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named. That award goes to college football's top player each year.

"Hopefully, they'll hire someone who can recruit locally, maybe a Pitt guy," Newcombe said.