ESPN host Paul Finebaum was in Knoxville on Thursday at the University of Tennessee — his alma mater — so naturally he was asked about the hot topic at the moment.

Yes, he said, everyone wanted him to weigh in on the rumors (#Grumors) about current Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden taking over as the coach of the Volunteers.

However, during an appearance on SportsCenter on Saturday morning, Finebaum said he still doesn’t think Gruden will end up on the Vols’ sideline next year. Instead, he said, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen’s name kept getting brought up (via 247Sports):

“I happened to be in Knoxville Thursday and from the time I was there to the time I flew out that afternoon, everything was about one person, Jon Gruden,” Finebaum said. “I do not think the Gruden story is true. I think that they like Gruden and certainly there’s segment there, but for the most part, Dan Mullen is a name you keep hearing about and there’s been some other names mentioned, but I think most people in Knoxville were glad Butch Jones was fired maybe a couple weeks after he should’ve been.

“This Tennessee season has been nothing short of disaster so Tennessee fans are optimistic that the (next coach) will be better than what Butch Jones did over the last five years.”

The Grumors are hitting a fever pitch in Knoxville these days, but they’re still firmly in the realm of rumors right now.

Who becomes the next coach of the Vols remains to be seen, but the search will be one of the most intensely watched searches in the country.