Seattle ? Lawyers for University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel said Friday he would fight to save his job, and they asked school officials to meet with them today.

Athletic director Barbara Hedges announced Thursday she was firing Neuheisel for gambling on the past two NCAA basketball tournaments and for initially being dishonest with NCAA investigators about his involvement.

“We believe that it is time for everyone involved to take a deep breath and step back from the edge of the cliff we are poised upon,” said Jerry Crawford, one of the nation’s most experienced lawyers in dealing with the NCAA’s infractions committee.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether interim university president Lee Huntsman, Hedges or the university’s counsel would agree to the meeting today, which is graduation day.

UW athletic department spokesman Jim Daves had no immediate comment.

Neuheisel maintains he didn’t realize he was breaking NCAA rules by gambling in a pool with friends and neighbors. He referred to an athletic department memo, distributed by compliance director Dana Richardson.