Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Mack Brown will resign as football coach at Texas after the Longhorns play their bowl game. Brown announced his resignation Saturday, calling his 16 seasons leading the Longhorns "a wonderful ride" but saying it was time for a change in what he called a football department "being pulled in different directions." The announcement ended weeks of speculation about Browns job security after an 8-4 regular season -- the fourth straight year the Longhorns lost that many games. It came one day after Brown met with Texas president Bill Powers and incoming athletic director Steve Patterson, and amid speculation he would resign or be fired. Brown, who won a national title with Texas after the 2005 season, will coach the unranked Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30 against No. 10 Oregon. He said he arrived at Texas in 1998 "to pull together a football program that was divided." "Now, the program is again being pulled in different directions, and I think the time is right for a change," Brown said in a statement "I love The University of Texas, all of its supporters, the great fans and everyone that played and coached here. "I cant thank (retiring athletic director) DeLoss Dodds enough for bringing our family here, and Bill Powers and the administration for supporting us at a place where I have made lifelong friendships. "It is the best coaching job and the premier football program in America. I sincerely want it to get back to the top and thats why I am stepping down after the bowl game. I hope with some new energy, we can get this thing rolling again." Browns announcement came after Alabama said Friday night it had reached a new long-term agreement with football coach Nick Saban. The two coaches had been linked by recent rumors and reports that had Saban, who won three national titles in the past four years with the Crimson Tide, taking over for Brown in Austin. Brown said at a media briefing Thursday for the Alamo Bowl, "My situation has not changed." He didnt address his future at Texas football banquet Friday night as news of the Saban extension broke, according to reports. "We appreciate everything Mack has done for The University of Texas. Hes been a tremendous coach, mentor, leader and ambassador for our university and our student-athletes," Patterson said in a statement. "He is truly a college football legend. Ive had a number of talks with him recently, and he has always said he wanted what was best for The University of Texas. I know this decision weighed heavily on him, and today he told us hes ready to move forward." Brown was in Florida on a recruiting trip this week when a website reported he would step down by the end of the week. Brown denied to another site that he had made a decision, but on Thursday said working for a new athletic director "changes things." Patterson was hired in November to replace Dodds, who has held the post for 32 years. Dodds brought Brown to Austin for the start of the 1998 season. "Weve hired what I think is a great athletic director, but I havent had time to sit down with him," Brown said Thursday. "Im looking forward to my meeting and well get on the same page and move forward." Browns contract with the university runs through 2020 under a deal he signed in January of 2012 and he will remain at the school in some capacity. He restored the Longhorns to national prominence and the team strung together nine straight seasons of double-digit wins from 2001-09. The highlight of his tenure, undoubtedly, came when the Longhorns beat USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl to win the national title and finish off a 13-0 season. "This is a very difficult day for everyone in The University of Texas family," Powers said in a statement calling Brown "one of the best football coaches in the country." "Mack is just the best and he will be missed," said Powers. "With that said, Im excited for the future and the opportunity to work with him in a new capacity for the years to come and am thrilled that he and (wife) Sally will remain part of our family. He is an unbelievable resource for us and will always be a valuable member of the Longhorn community." Brown also took the Longhorns to the national title game after the 2009 season but they lost to Saban and Alabama. The program has been in decline since with a record of just 30-20 over the past four seasons. Texas lost two of its first three games this season, then rebounded to go 7-1 in Big 12 play prior to last Saturdays 30-10 loss to Baylor in a de-factor conference title game. The Longhorns could have captured a BCS bowl bid with a victory over the Bears. Browns 158 wins at Texas are the second-most in school history behind Hall of Famer Darrell Royals 167. Dusty Baker Jersey . -- Jerel Worthy and his Michigan State teammates charged across the field, holding four fingers in the air while celebrating another sweet victory over their biggest rival. Anthony Swarzak Braves Jersey . The world No. 1 had one of the most dominating performances in a final and was on his way to a possible shutout on Sunday until the third-seeded Berdych broke the super Serbs serve in the 12th game of the match. https://www.cheapbraves.com/1003o-chris-...sey-braves.html. "Well over 50 (per cent)," coach Claude Noel said Tuesday after practice, where the Jets were looking at ways to cut down the scoring chances theyve been giving away. Josh Tomlin Braves Jersey . -- Darrelle Revis says at least 26 teams called after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Braves Jerseys China . Poti played in 824 regular NHL games with four teams in his career; the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals.ARLINGTON, Texas - Leonys Martin and Elvis Andrus know how to get things going at the top of the Texas Rangers lineup. Against the Houston Astros, they werent alone in making things happen. Martin and Andrus each scored three runs for AL West-leading Texas, including twice each in an 11-run inning that was the biggest in the majors this season, in a 16-5 victory Monday night. "We went up and down the lineup," manager Ron Washington said. "When we can do that is when we can be at our best." Martin got the Rangers big third inning started with his majors-leading 11th bunt single before a single by Andrus. The top two hitters in the lineup came home on a single by A.J. Pierzynski, and both got on base and scored again before the Astros finally got the third out. "Any time we can get those guys on base obviously it usually leads to runs," Pierzynski said. "Leonys has been doing a great job, and Elvis hitting behind him, hitting-and-running, putting pressure on the other team. Thats fun. Thats the way baseball is supposed to be." All nine Rangers scored in the third, when they sent 15 batters to the plate and had seven hits — six singles and a double — along with three walks, two Houston errors and a sacrifice bunt. Only five of the 11 runs were earned. The last team in the majors with as many runs in an inning was St. Louis, with a 12-run seventh in a 12-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on July 21, 2012. Texas last 11-run inning was in the fifth of a 15-3 win at home against Tampa Bay on Sept. 26, 2009. The Rangers have won 12 of their last 13 games against Houston (41-83), the first-year American League team now 30 1/2 games back in the division. Martin, in his 19th start as the leadoff hitter, had an infield single to start the Texas first before Andrus had a single on a perfectly executed hit-and-run play. Ian Kinsler had a sac fly and Adrian Beltre got his first intentional walk of the game before a double steal. Andrus swiped home for a 2-0 lead. "Every time we get on base, put ourselves in scoring position, it makes things easier," Andrus said. Matt Garza (3-1) struck out eight in 6 2-3 innings. But the right-hander allowed five runs, becoming the first Texas starter in 22 games to allow more than four. Lucas Harrell (6-14), getting another start after four consecutive relief appearances, allowed nine runs (seven earned) in 2 1-3 innings. He was initially sent to the bullpen after also giving up nine runs in 3 2-3 innings at Texas in a 10-5 loss July 5. Texas finished with a season high for runs, two nights after a 15-3 victory over Seattle thhat is its highest-scoring game without a home run in the 20 seasons of Rangers Ballpark.dddddddddddd Texas had 15 runs without a homer again before Pierzynski connected in the seventh off reliever Philip Humber, who last season threw a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox with Pierzynski as his catcher. Pierzynski finished with four hits and four RBIs. After Martin and Andrus got the third started, Kinsler had a sac bunt before Adrian Beltre, hitting .437 over the previous 19 games, got his second intentional pass. Singles by Pierzynski and Alex Rios re-loaded the bases, Mitch Moreland hit a two-run doubled to deep centre and Jurickson Profar walked to load the bases again, and end Harrells night. Wade LeBlanc, recalled by Houston earlier Monday, got David Murphy to hit a grounder. Second baseman Jose Altuve made a nifty stop going toward the middle of the infield and flipped the ball with his glove, only for shortstop Jonathan Villar to drop it and allow two runs to score. Martin then walked and Andrus reached on an error before Kinslers two-run single. Pierzynski drove in another run with a single to cap the scoring. Astros infielder Jake Elmore, who made his first major league appearance at catcher when taking over in the fourth after Carlos Corporan got hit by a foul ball, later pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Elmore was the only of four Houston pitchers with a scoreless outing. "They told me early in the game that I was going to pitch because the game was out of hand. I was expecting that, but out of nowhere (Corporan) got hurt. I had told them I could catch like 2 weeks ago," Elmore said. "Ive never done both in the same game." Houston was within 2-1 when Jason Castro and Chris Carter had consecutive doubles to start the second. The Astros then fell behind 15-1 before scoring four times in the seventh. "Its real simple, we didnt play well," manager Bo Porter said. "Weve got to let this one go." Notes: The Rangers have stolen home 29 times in team history. The last three have been by Andrus, who did it twice in 2011. ... One of the previous Texas players with a steal of home was Porter on June 11, 2001. ... Beltre was the first Rangers starter since Oscar Gamble on June 22, 1979, to be intentionally walked in his first two plate appearances. ... LHP Travis Blackley, acquired by Texas from Houston last week, will be brought up from Triple-A Round Rock to start Tuesdays game against his former team. ... Preliminary research by the Astros media relations staff found just 14 other instances of a player pitching and catching in the same major league game. ' ' '