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GREENSBORO -- N.C. A&T athletics director Wheeler Brown said Tuesday he knows who he wants as the Aggies' next football coach. But here's the rub: State hiring guidelines prohibit him from announcing his decision until Jan. 6.

Brown said he interviewed three candidates for the job -- interim coach George Ragsdale and two coaches from outside the program.

Brown declined to name the other two candidates. A source with knowledge of the search process who declined to be identified said one of those interviewed was Morgan State defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee, a former A&T assistant coach.

"Unless I get another resume that really impresses me," Brown said, "I could be happy with one of the three as our coach."

Asked if one candidate stood out over the other two, Brown said, "I believe so, yes."

Neither Lee nor Ragsdale could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Brown said he met with all three candidates this month. He said that, by law, he could not move to fill the position until the job posting closes Jan. 6.

Brown fired Lee Fobbs on Oct. 20, and Ragsdale was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach for the team's final four games. Under Ragsdale, the Aggies went 1-3, but Brown said Tuesday he wasn't as concerned with wins and losses during that stretch as he was with how the team performed.

At the time of Fobbs' firing, Brown said many players had quit during games.

"That wasn't the case" under Ragsdale, Brown said. "They appeared to play very hard for him. They seemed a lot more motivated down the stretch."

Before going to Morgan State, Lee was the Aggies' defensive coordinator. In 2003, the Aggies were the MEAC's top defense in almost every statistical category. Among Division I-AA schools, they ranked third in the nation in total defense, third in pass defense and 15th in scoring defense.

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com