Bruce Barnum, Portland State's offensive coordinator since 2010, will serve as the Vikings interim head football coach through the 2015 season, PSU spokesman Mike Lund confirmed Monday.

The news first was reported on the website FootballScoop.com.

Barnum took over the program on an interim basis on Nov. 26 after interim athletic director Valerie Cleary and school president Wim Wiewel fired Nigel Burton.

PSU is in the final stages of a search process to hire an athletic director.

Bruce Barnum

University of Texas-El Paso deputy athletic director James Sarra will interview for the athletic director job Monday and Tuesday.

Sarra will meet with the PSU community at an open forum Tuesday at 2 p.m. in room 238 in Smith Center.

Lund said PSU wanted to give the new athletic director a chance to hire the football coach, and was unwilling to sacrifice this year's recruiting class while waiting to get an athletic director in place to begin a search.

PSU is expected to have a second candidate for the AD job on campus Wednesday. That candidate too will be part of an open forum. The time and place for Wednesday's forum has not been announced.

-- Ken Goe | @KenGoe