TERRE HAUTE - Former University of Northern Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller will be hired as Indiana State University's next baseball coach, the Terre Haute, Ind. Tribune-Star is reporting.

A story on the newspaper's Web site cites "numerous sources" close to the Sycamore baseball program as confirming Heller will be hired.

Heller deferred comment to ISU Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman, who told the Indiana paper, "Rick is driving to Terre Haute and we're going to talk to him about his future with ISU baseball, but no contract has been signed,"

Heller was coach at UNI for 10 years before its baseball program was eliminated in February, briefly accepting an assistant coaching position at Creighton University. Heller coached the Panthers to the 2001 MVC Tournament championship and had three MVC players of the year, including Brandon Douglas in 2008.

One of the four finalists for the Indiana State position - Lincoln Trail College coach Mitch Hannahs - confirmed that he did not get the job.