The rumor mill surrounding Utah State's football coaching vacancy has centered on a small group of potential replacements for Brent Guy.

And from the first day, Michael "Chico" Canales has seen his name mentioned by fans, media and others who are following USU athletic director Scott Barnes' search.

That doesn't bother Canales, currently the passing game coordinator and receivers coach at South Florida, in the least.

"Utah State is a school I love," Canales told the Deseret News on Tuesday. "I honestly think I owe my career in football to the time I spent as an Aggie. So, yes, that's a job I would be interested in."

That said, Canales politely declined an opportunity to express how deep or active his interest in the current opening is.

"We still have one more game to play here (at USF) and Utah State has another game, too," he said. "Out of respect for coach Guy, who I like a lot, I'd rather not say too much about Utah State until after they've finished up their season. In his place, I'd appreciate the same."

So, while Canales is not publicly campaigning to become the next head coach at Utah State, others are.

According to a source close to the situation, several prominent football players, coaches and associates have been in touch with Barnes to give their endorsement of Canales. Those people, according to the source, include former BYU coach LaVell Edwards, Norm Chow (who coached with Canales at BYU and North Carolina State), Philip Rivers (who was coached by Canales at N.C. State) and Santana Moss (coached by Canales when Canales was the receivers coach with the New York Jets), among others.

In addition to the strong recommendations from past players and coaches, Canales also brings a strong Aggie pedigree to the table. As Utah State's quarterback for three years in the 1980s, Canales was a part of teams that beat BYU (1982) and Utah (1983) and competed well in what was then the PCAA.

His coaching career began at BYU as a graduate assistant and has taken him to Snow College (1987-94), Pacific ('95), South Florida (1996-2000), N.C. State (2001-02), the New York Jets (2003) and Arizona (2004-06) before returning to the Bulls this season.

South Florida, which is 7-4 and closes out the regular season on Dec. 6 at West Virginia, is averaging 242 yards per game through the air and has more than 400 yards of total offense per game.

Despite the years away from Utah, he still has strong ties to the area. His four children still live here, and his son TJ was a redshirt quarterback at Utah this season.

Unlike some coaches who may view Utah State as a stepping stone job, Canales is the type of candidate that might stay for more than a few years if he turns the team around.

Canales said he is hosting several USF players at his home in Florida for a Thanksgiving meal and has not yet had a formal interview with Utah State.

That may change soon, though, as a source told the Deseret News a meeting is scheduled between Canales and Barnes this weekend.

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E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com