It was the inability to meet those lofty expectations over the last four years that pushed Brown to resign after 16 years, ending an era that included the national championship following the 2005 season.

"The standard is really high here," Brown said Sunday at a campus news conference to explain his decision. "We set a standard at this place. You'd better win all of them. I understand that. ... The standard is really high here and I'm proud of being part of setting that standard."

From 2000-09, Brown's teams averaged more than 10 wins a season, captured two Big 12 titles, won a national title and played for another. But the program dipped sharply to 5-7 in 2010, Brown's only losing season, and the Longhorns have lost at least four games for four consecutive years.

Brown said he knew that wasn't good enough. It was time to find a new coach to guide the Longhorns back among the national elite and heal a fractured fan base that had grown impatient. His final game will be the Dec. 30 Alamo Bowl against Oregon.

Brown was under contract until 2020 with a salary at more than $5 million per year. He will stay on as a special consultant to President Bill Powers, a role that his current contract stipulates would pay him up to $500,000. Details of any further compensation for Brown were not immediately available.

Texas had expected a return to championship form this season, but a 1-2 start ignited months of speculation that Brown would retire or be forced out. Texas rallied with six straight wins, then dropped two of its last three games. A chance to win the Big 12 title was lost to Baylor in the finale.

Brown met with Powers and athletic director Steve Patterson on Friday to discuss his future. Brown said both told him he could stay, but after sleeping on it Friday night and talking it over with his wife, he decided it was the right time to resign.

"I felt like I could stay," Brown said. "I really felt like it wasn't best for the university to stay."

Powers said he was not pressured by the school's board of regents to help push Brown out of the job.

"I was not given any direction at all from any regent," Powers said. "This is the transition of one of the great football coaches in the country."


FLORIDA BACKUP QB TRANSFERRING


Another quarterback is leaving Florida after the program's first losing season since 1979.

Tyler Murphy, who started six games and may have gotten a shot at the job in 2014, announced Sunday he's leaving to play his senior year elsewhere.

Murphy joins freshman Max Staver as quarterbacks who have left the program after Florida coach Will Muschamp fired offensive coordinator Brent Pease and offensive line coach Tim Davis. In all, seven offensive players have left Florida over the last two weeks.

The list also includes tight end Kent Taylor, fullback Rhaheim Ledbetter and offensive linemen Quinteze Williams, Trevon Young and Ian Silberman. Murphy and Silberman graduated Saturday and will transfer under the NCAA rule that allows graduate students to play immediately and not have to sit out a year.

The departures leave the Gators with just two scholarship quarterbacks: injured starter Jeff Driskel and freshman Skyler Mornhinweg. Highly touted recruit Will Grier is expected to enroll in January.

Murphy completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,216 yards, with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He also was sacked 22 times.

He missed the final three games with a sprained throwing shoulder, an injury his sister accused the school of covering up.


ARMY FIRES COACH


Army fired coach Rich Ellerson after five seasons at West Point and no victories against Navy.

Army athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement released by the school that Ellerson was notified that he would not be retained about 24 hours after the Black Knights (3-9) finished the season with a 34-7 loss to Navy.

"Rich Ellerson has represented West Point and the Army football program extremely well since taking over as our head coach five years ago," Corrigan said.

"Unfortunately, our team has not experienced the level of success on the football field that we expect, and we feel it is necessary to make a change in the leadership at this time."

The 60-year-old Ellerson went 20-41 at the U.S. Military Academy and couldn't snap the Black Knights' losing streak against their most important rival. The Midshipmen have won 12 straight in the series, the longest streak by either side. Army seemed to be closing the gap on its most important rival when it lost in 2011 and '12 by a total of nine points. On Saturday in the snow in Philadelphia, Navy dominated again and it was clear Ellerson was in trouble.


NORTH DAKOTA NAMES NEW COACH


North Dakota State didn't waste time or miles looking for its next football coach, announcing Sunday it would turn the powerful Football Championship Subdivision program over to defensive coordinator Chris Klieman.

Klieman, 47, is taking over for Craig Bohl after the most successful coach in the school's proud football history left for Wyoming after the Bison finish their quest for a third straight FCS title. Klieman acknowledged the difficulty of following Bohl, but said the "culture of Bison football will not change" and the team will continue to reload, not rebuild.

"I'm not going to be Craig Bohl. I'm going to be Chris Klieman. And I think that's good. I think that's OK," Klieman said. "I've learned so much from Craig. Craig is the best leader I've ever been around as far as just a genuine leader. He tells you exactly how it is.

"The one thing I've learned is, shoot straight with people and people can deal with the consequences," he said.

Klieman is completing his third season as an assistant coach with the Bison, the last two as defensive coordinator. NDSU's defense has been rated at the top of FCS statistics in the last couple of years and is allowing 11 points per game this season. The Bison have posted three shutouts in 2013.

Bohl, who has won 102 games in 11 seasons, asked Klieman to go with him to Wyoming.

Contributors: Jason O. Boyd, The Associated Press