Iowa State's search for a new coach was delivered another crushing blow Tuesday.

Chattanooga coach Jeff Lebo, considered the current favorite for the job, turned down an offer from the Cyclones on Tuesday.

Lebo did not say why he turned down the Cyclones' offer, but sources said he had reservations about heading to an area in which he had few recruiting ties. He also had issues with moving his family to the Midwest. The sources added that Lebo was offered a contract, but the terms and details were unknown.

Lebo issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he was "looking forward at coaching at Chattanooga next year."

Iowa State athletic director Bruce Van de Velde would not confirm an offer was made to Lebo, who visited the Iowa State campus Sunday. Lebo's wife, Melissa, flew to Ames to look at the school Monday before the couple headed back to Tennessee on Tuesday.

"I am flattered that Iowa State had an interest in me," Lebo said in the statement. "Iowa State is a first-class institution and it has a first-rate athletics director in Bruce Van De Velde."

Lebo, 36, has only been at Chattanooga for one season after coaching at Tennessee Tech. He has no ties to the Big 12 or the Midwest. Lebo played for Dean Smith at North Carolina and is considered a sharp tactician.

He is the fourth candidate to withdraw his name from the running since Iowa State began its search to replace Larry Eustachy, who reached a $960,000 settlement with Iowa State after reports surfaced that he had partied with college students in Missouri and Kansas.

Van de Velde said the Cyclones could revisit candidates -- he began with a pool of 30 last week and has narrowed to six, he said -- who had publicly withdrawn their names from consideration.

"We've attracted some great candidates and we're excited about who is left in the pool," Van De Velde told reporters Tuesday. "Our hope is that in the next few days we'll have somebody hired."

Iowa State was expected to call Dana Altman again, but he is on the verge of signing a 10-year contract with Creighton and isn't expected to reverse his decision.

Altman, the early favorite to replace Eustachy, first talked to the Cyclones, but withdrew his name from the list. Fresno State's Ray Lopes, who was expected to receive an interview, and Wyoming's Steve McClain also pulled out of the running.

Along with McClain and Lebo, Iowa State also interviewed assistant coach Wayne Morgan over the weekend, but told him Sunday that he wasn't going to be the choice.

Morgan, the former Long Beach State head coach and Syracuse assistant has strong ties with the recruiting class -- three Massachusetts prep players -- and the current roster of players.

The Cyclones could also look at Wichita State's Mark Turgeon and Utah State's Stew Morrill, who Van de Velde hired to replace Eustachy at Utah State when Eustachy left for the Cyclones.

The new head coach might have to keep Morgan as an assistant if Morgan doesn't get the job. Iowa State's other assistants, Bob Sundvold and Steve Barnes, are not candidates for the job.

Either way, Iowa State has to hurry. The school is concerned about the potential loss of its current players and incoming recruits, who might bolt because of the recent scandal. The Cyclones have four seniors and recruiting has suffered as of late.

"We don't have the numbers we need," Van de Velde said. "We don't have the depth."

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.