Jedd Fisch has reportedly advanced to a second round of interviews at Michigan State as the school searches for its next head coach.

The Arizona head coach was named Friday night by Spartans Illustrated as one of four head coaches who are being seriously considered for the vacant coaching job in East Lansing. Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith, Toledo’s Jason Candle, and Duke’s Mike Elko were the other names listed in the report, which said Michigan State is nearing the “final stretch” of its coaching search.

Reached Friday night by The Arizona Daily Star, Fisch denied the report.

“False,” he said when asked about the veracity of the report. Fisch also issued the same response to the Pac-12 Network broadcast team Saturday when asked about the report before Arizona’s game against Utah.

According to the Daily Star, Fisch’s buyout through Nov. 30 is $6.5 million. On Dec. 1, it drops to $5.5 million. Fisch signed a contract extension last December that runs through 2027.

The Wildcats entered Week 12 at 7-3. They’re still alive in the Pac-12 title race and have already qualified for the program’s first bowl game since 2017. Arizona has won four straight games, three of which came against teams that were ranked at the time of the matchup.

Considering where the program was when Fish took it over — three straight losing seasons under Kevin Sumlin, an 0-5 record in 2020 — to have the Wildcats inside the AP Top 25 in Year 3 is a huge testament to Fisch’s ability as a program builder.

Michigan State is 3-7 this season. Since firing Mel Tucker in late September, the program has lost seven of its eight games.

Fisch was asked at his news conference earlier this week about his name possibility surfacing in coaching searches throughout the sport, and he said at the time that will happen when a team is enjoying success.

The University of Arizona currently finds itself in something of a financial crisis, but multiple reports from local outlets in Tucson suggest Arizona could reward Fisch with a raise this offseason.