Nutt resigns as Arkansas coach

Embattled Arkansas coach Houston Nutt resigned yesterday, giving up his job three days after directing the Razorbacks to a victory over top-ranked Louisiana State.

Defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will coach Arkansas (8-4) in its bowl.

Nutt told Chancellor John A. White he wanted to close a chapter in his life. "Houston's decision to resign was neither forced, or encouraged, or requested," White said.

Aggies grab Sherman

Texas A&M turned to a former assistant to lead its program back to prominence.

Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman was hired as head man at A&M, three days after Dennis Franchione resigned.

Sherman, an assistant coach with the NFL's Houston Texans for two seasons, will return to the school where he was the offensive line coach from 1989-93 and in 1995-96 under R.C. Slocum.

Georgia Tech fires Gailey

Georgia Tech fired Chan Gailey, two days after his sixth straight loss to rival Georgia ended a disappointing season. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will take over as interim coach for the team's expected bowl game and will be a candidate for the job permanently. The move was expected after Georgia Tech (7-5) came up short of another run at the Atlantic Coast Conference title one year after winning its division . . . Bill Doba said he will not return at Washington State after a 5-7 season in which the team missed going to a bowl game for a fourth consecutive year . . . Duke fired Ted Roof, two days after the Blue Devils concluded a 1-11 campaign with their ninth straight loss . . . Nine days after Indiana completed its most successful regular season in 14 years, interim coach Bill Lynch was rewarded with a four-year contract . . . Jeff Bower resigned at Southern Mississippi, possibly not voluntarily, especially since he capped his 14th consecutive winning season Saturday and is ending a 29-year relationship as player and coach with the Golden Eagles . . . Northern Illinois's Joe Novak, 62, retired, two days after his team finished a 2-10 season.

Coffman is questionable

Missouri tight end Chase Coffman has an ankle injury and is questionable for Saturday's Big 12 championship game against No. 9 Oklahoma. Coffman missed the second half of top-ranked Missouri's 36-28 win over then-No. 2 Kansas Saturday.