Multiple high-ranking officials within the University of Arkansas System, Athletic Director Frank Broyles and Houston Nutt himself denied news reports that the Razorbacks head football coach either has already tendered his resignation or will be leaving the team at the end of the season.

UA System President B. Alan Sugg, Chancellor John White, board of trustees Chairman Stanley Reed and vice chairman Jim Lindsey were approached by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Friday afternoon at the board of trustees meeting at the Donaghey Student Center on the campus of UALR. All four denied the rumor, which spread like wildfire across the state during the lengthy meetings, that Nutt had tendered his resignation, effective after the Nov. 23 LSU game.

Nutt briefly addressed the media upon arriving with the team at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock around 2: 15 p. m. Nutt was unequivocal when asked whether he had tendered his resignation.

“It’s silly,” Nutt said. “It’s ridiculous to put rumors out there right now. It’s not true.”

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Broyles, Nutt’s immediate supervisor and the man to whom Nutt presumably would submit any letter of resignation, said any insinuation that Nutt was resigning was false.

“The facts are these rumors are wrong,” Broyles said Friday evening. “You have to go with the facts. He hasn’t resigned, doesn’t plan to resign. My conversation with Houston this week is that he’s fired up and very encouraged by the way the team responded to the way they played last week.”

White said late Friday afternoon that despite the fact that he was in the board meetings all day he was in contact with his office and still heard nothing.

“I have absolutely no knowledge of that and cannot imagine anything like that happening without me knowing about it,” White said.

Sugg also said he had heard nothing about any resignation, and in his position, a decision of that magnitude would not slip past.

“I have no knowledge whether it’s true or false,” Sugg said, “but I would think I would know about it if it is true.”

Lindsey, who has been a strong supporter of Nutt, walked away brusquely when asked if Nutt had resigned.

“No, no, no. I don’t believe that,” Lindsey said. “That’s not true. I have no knowledge of that.”

Reed also said Nutt had not resigned, and said that any decisions on Nutt’s future would be made after the season, like any other season.

“Every coach at every institution is evaluated at the end of each year, and I don’t think this will be any different,” Reed said. “But we have two more games to play, at least, and we’re more concerned about winning football games and supporting the team and coaches at this point.”

Finally, a source close to Nutt told the Democrat-Gazette that not only had Nutt not resigned, but that if any action is taken to change the status of Nutt’s employment, it would be initiated by Arkansas, not Nutt.

The rumors of Nutt’s resignation began on the Internet, when multiple Web sites, citing unnamed sources, reported that Nutt had resigned. The rumors also said Nutt received other job offers, and mentioned Baylor and SMU as possible new jobs for Nutt.

At 3: 49 p. m., KHBS / KHOGTV, Channel 40 / 29, out of Fort Smith / Fayetteville posted a story on its Web site that Nutt was leaving at the end of the season, becoming the first reputable news source to do so. The story said that it could not be confirmed if Nutt’s departure would be because Nutt would resign, would be fired or would receive another job offer.

This report, which came before the four administrative officials denied the rumor of Nutt’s resignation, caused an official response from Arkansas, which until then had not released a statement.

Tysen Kendig, the associate vice chancellor for university relations, contacted the Democrat-Gazette to issue this statement:

“It seems some media outlets chose to falsely legitimize baseless rumors with unknown details from unnamed sources without first seeking the benefit of fact from the university. The fact is, there has been no determination regarding the status of Houston Nutt, nor would there be until the normal review process for coaches takes place after the season.

“ The chancellor affirmed this very clearly on the record some 24 hours earlier and nothing has changed in regard to the coach’s status of the Razorbacks football team since that time. Reports to the contrary are misleading and irresponsible.”

Kendig was referring to comments White made at a news conference in Fayetteville on Thursday when he said he was focusing on winning football games, not the status of Nutt’s employment.

Broyles, at an event in Little Rock on Thursday evening, said that incoming Athletic Director Jeff Long, not Broyles, would make any personnel decisions on Nutt.

“I’m not going to go into that, because that wouldn’t be fair to Jeff Long,” Broyles said. “It’s going to be his decision, absolutely.”

Friday afternoon, Broyles appeared to reiterate that Nutt’s future was in Long’s hands when KARK asked Broyles if Nutt’s job was on the line.

“It wouldn’t be if I’m the athletic director,” Broyles said.

Broyles did say he would understand why Nutt would want to leave.

“If he wanted to leave, I’d say that’s fine with negativity [surrounding Nutt and the program ].” Information for this article was contributed by Tom Murphy and Pete Perkins of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.