An official in the Texas A&M athletics department is denying reports that Texas A&M head football coach Dennis Franchione and the university are in talks about a buyout of the coach's contract.
Earlier Monday, CBSSports.com Senior Writer Dennis Dodd reported Franchione and A&M had agreed to a buyout and would not coach the Aggies past this season. Other media outlets are reporting on-going talks between the athletics department and Franchione.
However, Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations Alan Cannon tells News 3 Sports Director Darryl Bruffett that he has spoken with both Athletics Director Bill Byrne and Franchione, both of whom denied to Cannon the reports of buyout talks.
“There are several false rumors circulating regarding the Texas A&M football program," Cannon said in a statement. "Bill Byrne has repeatedly said he evaluates his programs at the end of each season and I have received no indication that he has changed his stance.
"Dennis Franchione is the head football coach at Texas A&M and is currently working on a game plan to face a Top 10 football team in the Missouri Tigers," Cannon continued.
Shortly after his initial report, Dodd said a source on the story had received "conflicting reports." As a result, Dodd's story later read that Franchione was "on the verge" of accepting a buyout rather than already having accepted it.
Another report, this one from Andre Ware of ESPN, has A&M in talks with Chuck Neinas Sports Services out of Boulder, Colorado. A&M, Ware reports, wants to speak with Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville, who coached one season at A&M as defensive coordinator.
A representative with Neinas Sports Services tells Bruffett the ESPN report is "pure speculation."
Saturday, the Aggies fell to Oklahoma in Norman by a 42-14 final. On the season, the Aggies are 6-4 with two games remaining, one at Missouri, the other at home against Texas. With six wins, the team is bowl eligible.
Coming into this season, Franchione held a 25-23 record as A&M's head coach, which is his seventh college football head coaching stint. He has coached in a pair of bowl games as A&M's head coach, both losses.
Overall, Franchione's record as a head coach is 180-96-2 in 24 seasons prior to the on-going campaign.
Previous head coaching stops for Franchione were Alabama, TCU, New Mexico, Southwest Texas State, Pittsburg State (Kansas), and Southwestern College (Kansas).
Franchione came under fire earlier this season after it was revealed he was providing inside information via a newsletter to a select few who had paid $1,200.
The university publicly admonished Franchione, ordered him to shut down his website, CoachFran.com, and said it would report the findings of its investigation to the NCAA.
