Mason told at least three recruits on Thursday that he will remain as coach of the Gophers after leading them to an 8-3 record and a berth in the Sun Bowl this season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday.

"He straightened that out and told me he was staying," recruit Larry Pinson, a fullback from Eagan, told the newspaper. "I asked him about it. My father asked him to stay and I asked him to stay. He said the team would be even better next year."

Apple Valley fullback Chad Redmann and Breck offensive lineman Peter Prudden also said Mason told them he wasn't leaving, the Star Tribune reported. Said Redmann: "Basically, he said he has no intention of leaving ... so I'm not going to worry about it."

The Lansing State Journal reported Friday that Michigan State President Peter McPherson flew to Minnesota on Thursday and interviewed Mason. McPherson and five other school officials made the trip to Minneapolis on a private jet, the newspaper reported.

The Spartans' job became vacant this week when coach Nick Saban took the head coaching job at Louisiana State.

McPherson declined to discuss the trip or whether Mason was offered the Spartans' job, the newspaper said. Two of the school's trustees, Joel Ferguson and Bob Weiss, did not make the trip but said Michigan State would interview additional candidates. "I assume we'll be doing that with several people over the next week or so," Weiss said.

Others being considered for the job are Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham, San Francisco 49ers coach Steve Mariucci and Green Bay Packers assistant Charlie Baggett.

Mason could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Minnesota President Mark Yudof was expected to meet with Mason on Friday. On Wednesday, Yudof confirmed that Michigan State was interested in Mason and suggested he might have to increase a raise offered to the coach last week.

Last week, Mason withdrew as a candidate for the Louisiana State job that ultimately went to Saban.

Mason is in the third year of a seven-year contract that pays him about $430,000 annually, $500,000 with incentives. Yudof offered him a raise estimated at less than $100,000.

Mason, 49, earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors this season to become the third person in NCAA history to win Coach of the Year honors in three different conferences. He has also coached at Kent State and Kansas and has compiled a career record of 75-81-1.