Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds plans to extend coach Mack Brown's contract with the Longhorns in the near future, the Austin American-Statesman reported on Monday.
The 14-year-coach, subject of Internet rumors that he would retire or be forced out after a 7-5 season, has a $5.2 million-per-yer deal with the Longhorns until 2016. Dodds says he wants to bind the legendary coach for an undetermined number of years.
"Mack's comfortable with what he's doing right now, think he's very comfortable," Dodds told the paper. "He's enjoying it. I've been around him 14 years, and he seems to be into it. Everything I know points to him being happy and wanting to do it for a while."
Brown, one of the highest paid coaches in the country, is 140-39 in 14 seasons with the Longhorns. He is 12-12 over the last two years with consecutive losing seasons in the Big 12.
Dodds told the American-Stateman he hopes Brown's multiyear extension will quash the rumors that have Brown retiring or being forced out at the end of the season.
"I'm just tired of all the conversations," Dodds said. "Continuity is of the essence. It's more about stability than anything else."
Rumors of Brown's departure first rippled in November after Texas beat rival Texas A&M in the last game of the 118-year series. After a Dec. 3 loss to Baylor, Brown joked the defeat would spark even more and he was right.
"There'll probably be a lot more after tonight," Brown was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "When I do retire, it won't come from a twit, a Twitter, in Topeka, Kansas. I want to coach for a long time."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.