Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter is no longer a candidate to be Virginia’s next head coach.

Poindexter relayed that message to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg on Wednesday afternoon, citing “timing” as an issue.

Poindexter has long been viewed as the leading candidate for this job. In addition to excelling in his role at Penn State, Poindexter was an All-American at Virginia and was an assistant for the Cavaliers in various roles from 2003-13.

It’s unclear what caused the negotiations to collapse, but Poindexter will remain at Virginia for now. The Cavaliers are expected to now focus t

heir search on Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

If Elliott does get the job, he’ll be replacing former coach Bronco Mendenhall, who surprisingly stepped down last week. Mendenhall did a good job with the Cavaliers, taking them to four bowl games in six seasons.

With the Early Signing Period just one week away, it’s likely Virginia is hoping to make a hire in the near term.