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University of Utah head football coach Chuck Stobart hit...

SALT LAKE CITY -- University of Utah head football coach Chuck Stobart hit the road looking for a job with a contract, while the school has started a search for a new coach who will boost attendance.

But Stobart could still remain as coach of the Utes in a 'mutual agreement' reached Tuesday between Stobart and Athletic Director Arnie Ferrin.

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'Chuck would like a contract and I'm unwilling to give a contract at this time,' Ferrin said. 'I understand why he wants one but right now I'm unprepared to make the committment he would like, so we could not agree on something mutually satisfactory to both of us.'

Stobart, who has coached football at the university for three years, spent most of the morning in a meeting with Ferrin, then left town and was unavailable for comment.

'We have agreed to free each other from our handshake arrangement so we can both pursue options available to us. This doesn't preclude that we may find our present arrangement remains best for both of us,' Ferrin said.

Bruce Woodbury, a spokesman for the university's athletic department, stopped short of saying Stobart was fired.

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'Basically, what it means is Stobart has coaching options he wants to pursue and we're looking for another coach. We just sort of parted the ways. It's just sort of a mutual agreement,' Woodbury said.

The Utes, which have a 6-5-1 record this season, lost five games by a total of 28 points. The last loss was a 24-14 decision to No. 1-ranked Brigham Young Saturday.

Stobart has logged a 15-16-1 record in his three years at Utah. His head coaching experience includes five years at the University of Toledo and his career record is 40-48-2.

Ferrin said the university lost about $80,000 in ticket sales partly because of the team's losses.

'What we have tried to do is give him the option to see if there's something out there that's really exciting to him and give me the option to see if I can find somebody that will put more people in my stands than have been in there the last two years,' Ferrin said.

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