Former Ole Miss chancellor won't head Florida university

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Former University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter won't be the next president of the University of South Florida.

The Tampa institution announced Friday that it's hiring Southern Methodist University Provost Steve Currall.

Currall and Vitter were two finalists for the presidency at the university, along with Rutgers University interim Provost Wanda Blanchett and former Rutgers University Chancellor Debasish Dutta.

Vitter stepped down from leading Ole Miss in January after three years.

A computer scientist, Vitter was provost at the University of Kansas when chosen for the Ole Miss post in 2015. Vitter was paid $600,000 a year under a four-year contract.

College board trustees have yet to launch a search for a new Ole Miss chancellor. Larry Sparks, who was in charge of finance and administration, serves as interim chancellor.