Texas Longhorns football coach Mack Brown will reportedly announce his resignation at the end of the week. Texas president Bill Powers, meanwhile, denied reports that the university was pursuing Alabama coach Nick Saban.
OrangeBloods.com is reporting two "high-level sources" as saying Brown will resign sometime this week.
"Mack Brown loves Texas and wants what's in the best interest of Texas and what's in the best interest of Mack Brown," one high-level source told OrangeBloods. "I don't think it's been an easy decision. But he doesn't want negativity around the program he helped unify."
Both ESPN and Yahoo! Sports, however, quickly repudiated the report.
"Texas denies report that Mack Brown will step down as Longhorns coach," ESPN tweeted, citing Joe Schad. "Board of Regents to meet Thursday."
"Y! Source says Mack Brown hasn't told anyone he's stepping down and there has been no meeting with staff or administrators," Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports tweeted.
Brown, who took over the Texas football program in 1998, led the Longhorns to their first national title in 35 years in 2005. The program has struggled though since 2010, posting a 30-20 record in the past four seasons. Texas is 8-4 this season, marking the first time the program has ever had at least four losses in four straight seasons, according to OrangeBloods.
Saban's name has been floated around as a possible replacement, although both Saban and Texas have denied partaking in any discussions.
"I've never met Nick Saban. I've never talked to Nick Saban. We have not hired Nick Saban," Powers told the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday. "Mack's our coach, and I can say flatly that the rumors we have hired or come to an agreement with Nick Saban or even talked to him are false."
Texas Regent Tom Hicks, according to an Associated Press report, approached Brown in September about the possibility of Brown retiring before his contract expires in 2020. Saban denied hearing anything about the supposed meeting.
