But that is apparently news to Brown.

“I’m in Florida recruiting,” Brown told Bobby Burton of 247Sports.com after reports of his resignation surfaced Tuesday afternoon. “If I had decided to step down I sure wouldn’t be killing myself down here. I have not decided to step down.”

Earlier Tuesday, Orangebloods.com reported that two high-level sources confirmed that Brown will step down at Texas and that he is expected to make an announcement by the end of the week.

ESPN.com later reported the same, and went a step further in a tweet.

"Source to @ESPN about Brown resigning by end of week: 'It's a shame after 16 years Mack's not able to do it on his own w/dignity & grace'" — Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN)

InsideTexas.com, citing an anonymous source, reported that Brown will receive a multimillion-dollar settlement and be paid $1.3 million per year through 2020 to serve as an ambassador and liaison for the university.

"Mack Brown loves Texas and wants what's in the best interest of Texas and what's in the best interest of Mack Brown," a high-level source told Orangebloods.com. "I don't think it's been an easy decision. But he doesn't want negativity around the program he helped unify."

Brown's attorney, Joe Jamail, told The Associated Press that Brown has not resigned as well and that Brown's future was still up to the coach.

Brown’s 16th season at Texas was full of ups, downs and speculation as to mostly when — not if — the Longhorns coach would resign or be fired.

Now, with his Longhorns 8-4 and headed to the Alamo Bowl to play Oregon, the program may be headed in a new direction.

Reports surfaced earlier in the season that Texas might be targeting Alabama coach Nick Saban after it was discovered that a current and former Texas regent discussed the Texas position with Saban’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, after last season’s BCS championship game.

Last week, University of Texas president Bill Powers told the Austin American-Statesman that the school is not pursuing Saban.

“I’ve never met Nick Saban. I’ve never talked to Nick Saban. We have not hired Nick Saban,” Powers said. “Mack (Brown is) 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.”

Brown is 158-47 in 16 seasons and won the 2005 BCS title game and lost it in 2009. The Longhorns won at least 10 games from 2001 through 2009.

But since that 2009 season when the Longhorns went 13-1, losing to Alabama in the BCS title game, Texas has struggled. That season was followed by a 5-7, 8-5, 9-4 and this season’s 8-4. Horrible? No. But not up to Texas standards.


FREEZE GETS EXTENSION


Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze has a new contract that includes a one-year extension through 2017 and a raise to $3 million per season.

The school announced the terms Tuesday. Freeze's four-year contract is the longest allowed by Mississippi state law. His base salary was $2 million this season.

Ole Miss has a 7-5 record and accepted an invitation to the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., where it will play Georgia Tech on Dec. 30.

Freeze's new contract includes an automatic $150,000 raise for each upcoming season. Also, the salary pool for the Ole Miss football staff will increase by $400,000.


BRILES NAMED BIG 12 TOP COACH


Art Briles talked about winning games and championships when he became Baylor's coach six years ago.

Back then, the Bears hadn't managed a winning record in their first 12 seasons in the Big 12, and those sure seemed like lofty goals.

They are a reality now, with the Big 12 champion Bears (11-1) headed to the Fiesta Bowl to play UCF on Jan. 1 in their first Bowl Championship Series game.

"You have the plan and the vision and you love to see it come to fruition. If it does, it makes you look like you knew what you were talking about," Briles said. "We don't feel like we're at the mountaintop, though. We're still striving to be a respectable program year in and year out. ... That'll never change."

Briles was the unanimous pick for the AP's Big 12 coach of the year award announced Tuesday. He got all 20 votes in balloting by media members who cover the Big 12 on a regular basis.

With a 30-10 win over Texas on Saturday to close out 64 seasons at Floyd Casey Stadium before moving into a $260 million campus stadium next fall, the Bears clinched their first outright title in any league since the 1980 Southwest Conference championship. That team had Mike Singletary and Walter Abercrombie playing for coach Grant Teaff.

This is the first 11-win season in school history, and the sixth-ranked Bears are making four consecutive bowl appearances for the first time. They are 29-9 over a three-season span that began in 2011 with Robert Griffin III winning the Heisman Trophy.

When Briles arrived in Waco, the private school had won only 11 of its 96 Big 12 games — and were 35-101 overall in that span with four different coaches. The Bears were routinely at the bottom of the standings and were then mired in a 12-game conference losing streak, only a few seasons removed from a record 29 consecutive Big 12 losses.


SPARTANS’ NARDUZZI TOP ASSISTANT


The defensive coordinator for fourth-ranked Michigan State has won the Broyles Award, given annually to college football's top assistant coach.

Pat Narduzzi was named the winner Tuesday at a luncheon in Little Rock. Narduzzi structured the Spartans' defense, lifting the team to a 12-1 record and a spot in the Rose Bowl against No. 5 Stanford.

The award is named for former Arkansas coach Frank Broyles, who is noted for developing assistants into head coaches. A number of his aides went on to stellar careers, including Hayden Fry, Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer.

Fry, Majors and Switzer were on this year's selection committee. Other finalists this year were Auburn's Rhett Lashlee, Baylor's Philip Montgomery, Florida State's Jeremy Pruitt and Kurt Roper from Duke. 

Contributors: Ken Bradley, The Associated Press