Texas coach Mack Brown gave no indication that his time as Longhorns head coach was coming to a close amidst speculation and reports that he would step down.
At a formal Alamo Bowl press conference on Thursday, Brown said he wants to talk to university president Bill Powers and athletic director Steve Patterson.
“There’s been a little speculation about my job situation,” Brown said. “We’re not here to talk about me. My situation has not changed. I have the best president in the country in Bill Powers. He’s done a tremendous job. We’ve lost an iconic athletic director in DeLoss Dodds. He’s been my boss for 16 years.
“We hired what I think is a great athletic director in Steve Patterson. Any time the athletic director changes, it changes the game. I will sit down and talk to him and Bill and discuss the direction we’re going.
“I’m looking forward to my meeting with Bill and Steve and then move forward.”
The Longhorns (8-4) will face No. 10 Oregon (10-2) on Dec. 30. Seated next to him at the press conference was Oregon coach Mark Helfrich.
“Our players are disappointed coming out of the Baylor game not winning the Big 12 championship,” Brown said. “Oregon has been one of the best teams in the country. Beat Oregon, that’s the only thing that’s important, it’s not about me.”
Rumors have been swirling for the past week that Brown is set to resign and possibly replaced by Alabama coach Nick Saban as the next Longhorns’ coach.
Crimson Tide officials hope to prevent Saban from leaving Tuscaloosa for Austin.
Saban, who guided the Tide to national championship in three of the previous four seasons, is talking with Alabama officials about a contract extension, ESPN reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the Crimson Tide’s verbal offer would make Saban the top-paid college football coach, but the sides were not yet in agreement, causing consternation in the Alabama administration.
Texas would be able to top any financial offer made by Alabama, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Alabama athletic director Bill Battle said it’s business as usual for the Crimson Tide program. He didn’t respond to questions about Saban’s status while attending a IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum in New York on Wednesday.
“We’re focused on recruiting and playing Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl,” Battle said.
Meanwhile, Brown has been expected to announce by the end of the week that he is stepping down after 16 years at Texas.
A reporter from the Fort Worth Telegram posted Tuesday night on Twitter that Saban would take the Texas job.
“Source close to Texas executive council of regents says Nick Saban will be next Longhorns coach,” tweeted Stefan Stevenson, the TCU beat reporter for the Telegram.
Brown disputed the story on Tuesday that he was leaving when reached by text from Horns247.com.
“I haven’t seen (the) article,” Brown wrote via text. “I’m in Florida recruiting. If I had decided to step down I sure wouldn’t be killing myself down here. I have not decided to step down.”
Reports surfaced earlier in the season that Texas might be targeting 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. Saban, 62, denied he was interested in the job.
NFL Network reported Tuesday that Alabama and Saban were engaged in negotiations on a contract extension that would bump the annual salary of a new deal to the $7 million per season range.
In March, Saban received a contract extension from Alabama worth $5.62 million a year but then was offered another extension after the Crimson Tide finished the regular season with an 11-1 record. His current deal at Alabama runs through Jan. 21, 2020.
According to Orangebloods.com, Brown wants to do what’s in the best interest of the school. An official confirmation of his resignation could come at the team’s football banquet on Friday night.
If Brown does leave, his last game would be in the Valero Alama Bowl.
Brown is under contract through the end of 2020. His 2013 compensation was $5.4 million. He would receive a $2.75 million buyout and other considerations and reassigned to an advisory role at the university with an annual salary of $500,000 through the end of his contract, according to Orangebloods.com.
Brown, 62, is second in career victories at Texas with 158, trailing only legendary Darrell Royal (167).
After nine consecutive 10-win seasons under Brown at Texas from 2001 to 2009, the Longhorns have gone 5-7 in 2010, 8-5 in 2011, 9-4 in 2012 and 8-4 this season.
Texas was hurt by numerous injuries this year but still had a shot at winning the Big 12 title before a 30-10 loss at Baylor last Saturday. That fourth loss made Brown the first coach in Texas history with four losses in four consecutive seasons.
Texas AD Patterson said earlier this week: “We continue to discuss the future of Texas football. Mack Brown has not resigned. And, no decisions have been made.”
The UT Board of Regents is scheduled to meet Thursday.