Ahead of one of the biggest games in program history, Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez was quick to deny any rumors that he had been contacted about a new opportunity.

The coach said Tuesday that he has not yet received any calls regarding a new head coaching position, with a handful opening up in recent days.

“It’s better to have someone or someone calling you than not,” Rodriguez said during a conference call before the Conference USA championship game. “They usually don’t call you unless you have a little success.

“I didn’t get a call from any school. Right now I’m completely focused on this week and this game, and I know there’s a lot of rumors and speculation, and social media is helping make it far more widespread than it probably actually is. But we’re excited to see where we are.”

Head coaching vacancies this season include North Carolina, UCF, Purdue and West Virginia, with Rodriguez’s name being floated for the latter of the Power Four openings.

A West Virginia graduate, he coached the program from 2001 to 2006 and achieved an overall mark of 60-26, which remains one of the winningest streaks in program history.

Regardless of the calls he might receive, Rodriguez said he is proud of his team staying the course during another strong season for the Gamecocks.

In three seasons at Jacksonville State, Rodriguez posted a 26-10 overall mark and an 18-3 record in conference play.

He led the Gamecocks to their first appearance in a Conference USA championship game this season, where they face Western Kentucky. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

“We were able to stay, I mean our staff and our players were very, very focused all year,” Rodriguez said. “This is our 13th game, so I, including myself, will make sure we are highly focused this week too.”