Pitt athletic director Jeff Long traveled to Baltimore and met with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator and former Pitt quarterback Matt Cavanaugh yesterday for the second time to discuss the job of head football coach, vacated a week ago when Walt Harris resigned to take a similar position at Stanford.

John Heller, Post-Gazette Departing Pitt football coach Walt Harris talks to running back Brandon Mason at last night's practice at the UPMC Sports Complex on the South Side. Click photo for larger image. Related coverage Players speak on Harris' exit Pitt Notebook: Harris says this season will remain special to him

He is the first of the known candidates to receive a second interview and he may be the last. Cavanaugh impressed Long during their first interview Saturday in Indianapolis, so much so that Long told him he likely would meet with him again. According to a source close to the situation, Long said, "if I come to Baltimore to talk with you, it means we're very serious about you."

The source also said that Cavanaugh likely will accept the job, if offered. Cavanaugh also was a finalist for the job after Johnny Majors retired in 1996, and was offered the position but turned it down. He felt that, at that point, he wasn't ready to take on such a big rebuilding project, especially since it would have been his first head coaching position.

Cavanaugh, 48, had only four years of coaching experience, none as a coordinator when he turned it down the first time. Since then, he has added eight years of experience, including the previous seven as an offensive coordinator. He was the coordinator for the Ravens in 2000 when they won the Super Bowl.

Cavanaugh played for the Panthers from 1974-77 and he was the quarterback in 1976 when they won their most recemt national championship. He was the MVP of the Sugar Bowl that season after leading Pitt to a 27-3 win against Georgia.

He was then selected in the second round of the 1978 NFL draft and remained in the league for 13 seasons and played for four different teams. He was a member of two Super Bowl champions -- the 1984-85 San Francisco 49ers and 1990-91 New York Giants.

The next year, he began his coaching career as tight ends coach under Paul Hackett. Cavanaugh is a Youngstown, Ohio, native and is popular among some alumni and loyal Pitt fans because he is a link to the glory years of the late 1970s.

If Cavanaugh is offered the job and accepts it, he likely will be introduced tomorrow because Long would like to have a new coach in place before the players go home for Christmas break. Right now they are scheduled to work out in the morning, then go home at noon.

The players will return sometime Saturday night and the team leaves for the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix Sunday morning.

Prior to meeting with Cavanaugh for a second time late yesterday, Long spent the morning in Charlotte, N.C., interviewing former Pitt All-American Sal Sunseri. Sunseri is the defensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers and was an assistant at Pitt from 1985-92 under three different coaches.

Long was impressed with Sunseri's presentation, particularly his thoughts on recruiting, but has not yet been scheduled for a second interview. Long has also interviewed three other candidates -- Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads and New York Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis.

Pelini, who is also from Youngstown, has been one of the favorites for the job since the search began. He has had lengthy conversations with Long over the phone, including one since Saturday when they met face to face in Indianapolis, but he is notfor a second interview.

Lewis met with Long in New Jersey Friday, but Giants officials deny it was an interview, telling The Associated Press it was a "gauge of interest." According to general manager Ernie Accorsi, Pitt did not have permission to interview Lewis.

Rhoads, who is the popular choice among players, a number of influential alumni and many fans, has gotten some late support from a number of people that may turn out to be his best ally -- a number of area high school coaches who have called Long on his behalf.

One area that Long is concerned with upgrading is recruiting within Western Pennsylvania, and Rhoads is very popular among area high school coaches. He, and assistant head coach Bob Junko, who presumably would remain on the staff if Rhoads is promoted, are well liked and respected.

"Coach Rhoads is ready, he motivates us, he cares about us," said freshman cornerback Darrelle Revis. "I think he'd make a great coach and in a lot of ways, to a lot of us, he is almost like a head coach now. I'd love to play the rest of my career for him. But I understand it is a business and so, if they hire someone else, I'll work just as hard."

Also, Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon said yesterday he has not been contacted by anyone from Pitt. Shannon was reportedly a candidate for the job. He has interviewed for the Mississippi job and he was also approached by the Miami Dolphins about interviewing for that job.

The search has gone on for nine days but might have been over much earlier had the Pitt administration's top choice, former Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt, withdrew his name from consideration Thursday. Wannstedt said he didn't want to pursue it because the timing was bad.