RALEIGH — N.C. State has whittled down its list of potential football coaches to five. On Monday, Athletic Director Les Robinson delivered the short list to Chancellor Mary Anne Fox.

N.C. State has been looking for a head coach since Mike O'Cain was fired on Nov. 24. O'Cain was later hired as anoffensive coordinator at UNC.

Robinson would not release the names of the people on the list, but he did end the speculation about Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher possibly taking the job.

"I can say that Bill Cowher is not a candidate now," Robinson said. "We have talked to him a lot in the last month, but he is not a candidate for our job here."

Robinson also told WRAL that Kentucky Wildcats head coach Hal Mumme and former New England Patriots head coach Pete Carroll were not candidates for the vacant N.C. State job.

"We basically have a list that we are working with now," Robinson said. "Unless something really out of the ordinary were to occur, I would say that is the list we are working with throughout the week."

"Our university and our supporters are taking football seriously, and we don't want cost to be a factor." Robinson said.

N.C. Sports Information staff told WRAL that an announcement of a new head coach could be made as early as Thursday.