UPDATED: Arkansas Razorbacks Coach Houston Nutt Resigns

FAYETTEVILLE — Houston Nutt ended a 10-year tenure with Arkansas on Monday, citing family concerns and fan turmoil as factors in his decision.

Incoming athletic director Jeff Long will handle the search for a successor, according to UA chancellor John White. Reggie Herring, the team's defensive coordinator, will be interim coach for the Razorbacks, who will play in an as-yet unannouced bowl game.

Nutt and the university have agreed to a settlement in excess of $3 million.

Nutt could be named the head coach at Ole Miss as early as Tuesday morning, sources say. Ole Miss fired Ed Orgeron on Saturday after the coach earlier in the season had been assured of two more seasons at Oxford, Miss. Georgia Tech also has an opening after firing Chan Gailey on Monday. Gailey never had a losing season in six years at Tech.

Nutt said at the press conference that he had decided to resign "after a lot of serious discussion" with his family and with Chancellor White. He thanked outgoing athletic director Frank Broyles for hiring him in December 1997 for handing him "the keys to the Univeristy of Arkansas football program."

"I'm one of you," Nutt said, "a Razorback for life." He said that his decision to resign was made so that "the whole state can come together as one."

Nutt's performance as head coach, on and off the field, had divided the Arkansas football fanbase in the last year after derogatory e-mails about Razorback players from Nutt's family and friends were made public through Freedom of Information Act requests.

Nutt pointed to a fractured fan base as a major factor in his decision. Uniting fans is something Nutt felt he could not do.

“Deep, deep down in my heart as an Arkansan, as a person that loves the Razorbacks so much, (I wanted) for the state to come together as one," Nutt said. "At this time, I didn't think we could have one heartbeat."

Nutt made note that the program had come a long way since 1997 when Razorback supporters had asked him if the team could beat SMU. "Now," Nutt said, "they ask if we can make it into the BCS."