SEATTLE (AP) – University of Washington officials met Sunday with lawyers for embattled football coach Rick Neuheisel, though neither side disclosed the nature of discussions.

Athletic director Barbara Hedges issued a statement confirming the meeting but school officials would say nothing more.

“There is a process in place, as required by the contract period,” Hedges said. “Conversations have occurred in the context of this process, and we will allow the process to proceed without any further comment.”

Hedges announced Thursday she had made an initial determination that “just cause” existed to fire Neuheisel.

She cited his participation in a neighborhood gambling pool involving the past two NCAA basketball tournaments. Coaches aren’t allowed to gamble on college sports under NCAA rules.

Hedges also said Neuheisel wasn’t forthcoming with NCAA investigators when initially questioned.

Since her announcement, though, Neuheisel has hired a trial attorney and another lawyer who specializes in NCAA matters. They held a news conference Friday to protest the firing, outlining grounds for Neuheisel’s possible appeal.

They also suggested they were ready to take legal action if necessary.

Jerry Crawford, one of Neuheisel’s attorneys, didn’t immediately return telephone messages left Sunday by The Associated Press.

The situation got even

more cloudy this weekend when Hedges confirmed that

offensive coordinator Keith

Gilbertson, considered the leading candidate to succeed Neuheisel as interim coach, took part in a $3 NCAA basketball tournament pool within the Washington football office in 1999.

On Saturday, Neuheisel made a plea for his job but appeared to be laying the groundwork for a possible settlement when he summoned reporters to his home for a brief statement.

Neuheisel said he wanted to keep his job and predicted he wouldn’t be found guilty of any major NCAA rules violations. If he is, he promised to resign immediately and pay the university’s legal fees for defending itself against the NCAA.

NCAA officials won’t comment on the Neuheisel matter.

Neuheisel was given until June 26 to respond to his letter of termination. It wasn’t clear if Sunday’s meeting constituted a formal response, and a university spokesman declined comment when asked.

Neuheisel earns $1.2 million a year and has five years remaining on his current contract. If he is fired with cause, he would be required to repay a $1.5 million loan the university gave him when he signed an extension last fall.

A settlement could cost the university as much as $3.6 million.

AP-ES-06-15-03 1754EDT