The search for the next University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach is down to three candidates: UT-Martin coach Jason Simpson, Lambuth University coach Hugh Freeze and Richmond defensive coordinator Russ Huesman.

“Of the people that I’ve had an opportunity to visit with to date, we’ve narrowed it down to two finalists, but that doesn’t eliminate anyone whose season is still ongoing,” athletic director Rick Hart told the Times Free Press on Monday.

Simpson, UTC’s offensive coordinator for three years under former coach Rodney Allison, will interview on campus today and Freeze is scheduled to visit Wednesday. Huesman, in his fifth season at Richmond, arrives in town tonight with the Spiders, who will play Montana in Friday’s Football Championship Subdivision title game.

Sources have told the Times Free Press that Huesman is expected to interview for the job this weekend.

Two weeks ago, Hart went on the road and met with Simpson, Freeze and Kentucky quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders about the job. Last week he met with Georgia running backs coach Tony Ball, a Chattanooga native and a UTC graduate, North Alabama coach Mark Hudspeth and Appalachian State linebackers coach Dale Jones, a former Bradley Central High School standout.

Hudspeth took himself out of the running last Saturday when he accepted a job as Mississippi State’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

Simpson was UTC’s offensive coordinator from 2003 to ’05 before taking his first head-coaching job at UT-Martin, where he is 21-14 in three seasons. The Skyhawks won the Ohio Valley Conference championship in his first season and finished second in the conference this season.

Simpson could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Freeze was the head coach at Briarcrest Christian in Memphis from 1994 to 2005 before joining Ed Orgeron’s staff at Ole Miss for three seasons, the last two as the Rebels’ recruiting coordinator. After Orgeron was fired, Freeze was hired at Lambuth and led the Eagles to an 8-4 record and a spot in the NAIA playoffs a year after they finished 3-7.

“This (visit) is the next step in us getting to know one another,” Freeze said. “I have not been to campus yet, and I would love to meet with the administration and get to know Mr. Hart some more and see the facilities.”

Simpson’s offense was one of the most prolific in the FCS this season, finishing fourth in the country with an average of 37.33 points per game. Freeze’s offense led the NAIA in total offense with 488.4 yards per game and averaged a third-best 43.5 points.

Huesman’s defense, meanwhile, is sixth in the NCAA FCS in scoring (16.2 papg) and 10th in total defense (266.3 yapg). The Spiders held Northern Iowa scoreless in the fourth quarter last Saturday as they rallied from 13 points down to beat the Panthers 21-20 and advance to their first national championship game.

Hart announced on Oct. 21 that Allison’s contract would not be renewed after six seasons.