Jeff Long was fired as athletics director at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, documents released Wednesday afternoon revealed.
UA Chancellor Joe Steinmetz announced earlier that day that Long was no longer employed with the university, but it wasn't initially known whether he resigned or was fired.
The letter, addressed to Long from Steinmetz, states that it serves as "as written notice that the University is terminating your employment."
"As we have discussed, in my professional judgment, I believe this decision is in the best interest of the athletics program and the University," Steinmetz wrote.
The letter, which is dated Wednesday, asks Long to return university-issued property by the end of the month, and it says he will "receive all salary and incentive compensation earned through today."
"Jeff, I very much appreciate your service to the University of Arkansas," the letter concludes. "You led our athletics programs with character and integrity, which I value greatly and you helped move us forward in many ways. I wish you all the best in the future."
In an earlier news release, Steinmetz said the change was "made after great deliberation, discussion and thought," and after consultation with the UA board of trustees and UA President Donald Bobbitt.
Steinmetz wrote that over the last year, Long "has lost the support of many of our fans, alumni, key supporters and members of the university leadership, support that I believe is critical in our pursuit of excellence."
The UA will honor Long's contract, which runs through June 30, 2022. According to documents, Long, 58, is paid $750,000 per year and is owed a $1 million buyout for each remaining year if he is terminated without cause.
A UA spokesman confirmed Wednesday night that Long would receive that buyout money in the form of "monthly sums of $83,333.33 up to a maximum of $4.625 million." It is "subject to mitigation if Mr. Long is later employed and/or receives compensation elsewhere," the spokesman noted.
Long also had an additional $250,000-per-year personal services agreement with the Razorback Foundation, and he was also eligible for up to $250,000 each year in bonuses. In 2016, he received an additional $25,000 bonus for NCAA Graduation Success Rate.
"My family and I would like to thank the University community, Fayetteville community, all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as the friends we have made across the great State of Arkansas," Long wrote in a lengthy statement released Wednesday night. "My wife Fanny and I have raised two wonderful daughters in Fayetteville, one of which has her name etched in Senior Walk. For my family, this will always be home."
Julie Cromer Peoples, 46, will serve as Arkansas' interim athletics director. Peoples came to Arkansas as a senior associate athletics director in 2014 and previously worked at the NCAA office in Indianapolis.
The move comes six days after the University of Arkansas board of trustees met for more than three hours in executive session while Long waited outside the room. According to a UA spokesman, Long never was called into the room and never addressed the trustees during the Thursday meeting in North Little Rock. The trustees did meet in executive session with Steinmetz, who was Long's supervisor.
What was said in the executive session was not disclosed, but Long has come under public pressure over the football team's performance. The Razorbacks are 4-6 overall and 1-5 in SEC games this season and have a program-record five losses of 20 points or more.
Arkansas football coach Bret Bielema, when asked about Long's status on the Southeastern Conference football coaches' teleconference Wednesday morning, said he has been given no official confirmation of Long's departure.
"Jeff, from Day 1 to where we are today, has been awesome not just for me as the head coach ... but for our student-athletes in everything he stand for, everything he tries to give them on the field, off the field," Bielema said.
Long was the third-longest serving athletics director in Razorbacks history, behind Frank Broyles (34 years) and John Barnhill (25). He oversaw an era in which Arkansas' athletics department reaped benefits from large TV and multimedia rights agreements, increasing the department's annual revenue from $49.5 million the year before he arrived to just less than $125 million in the latest reporting period.
Long commissioned a master plan for athletic facilities in 2011 and has overseen the renovation or construction of eight projects in the past six years, including the ongoing $160 million renovation to Reynolds Razorback Stadium. That project, which will add around 4,200 club and suite seats, is scheduled to be completed by August 2018.
In 2013, Long was named national athletics director of the year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He was appointed to the first selection committee of the College Football Playoff in 2014 and appointed its first chairman. His term with the playoff panel ends next month.
Bill Hancock, the executive director of the playoff, said in a statement Wednesday that Long will serve for the remainder of this season.
Earlier this year, Long was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA's Division I Football Oversight Committee by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Jeff Long's annual salary.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Tom Murphy contributed to this story.