Luke Fickell hasn't talked to anyone at Michigan State University about the head football coach opening, he said during a radio interview Wednesday afternoon.

"I have talked to nobody," the Cincinnati coach said on ESPNU on SiriusXM Radio.

[ Luke Fickell's 2020 Cincinnati recruiting class ranked higher than MSU's ]

He did say he and Mark Dantonio, who announced his retirement Tuesday, communicate regularly, but Fickell said he was surprised by Dantonio stepping down.

"I didn't see it coming," Fickell said.

He went on to say he doesn't talk to Dantonio every week, but if he needed to bounce something off someone, he would talk to Dantonio about it.

[ Why Fickell makes sense as MSU football's next coach ]

Fickell is still the front-runner for the opening, sources with knowledge of the MSU athletic administration told the Free Press. No deal has been signed.

Dantonio retired as MSU's coach on Tuesday, ending a 13-year run that included three Big Ten titles, a Rose Bowl victory and a College Football Playoff berth. He is the program's all-time winningest coach with a 114-57 record in East Lansing. His overall record is 132-74, including three years at Cincinnati.

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Fickell, 46, coached Cincinnati to an 11-3 record this past season, including a win in the Birmingham Bowl. Hired to coach the Bearcats in 2017, he would owe Cincinnati a $2 million buyout if he leaves for another job before Dec. 31, 2020, according to his contract, obtained by USA TODAY Sports in June.

Fickell has a 32-20 career head coaching record, including 6-7 in his one season as Ohio State's interim coach in 2011.