After 12 seasons, the Dan McCarney era at Iowa State has come to a close.

The ISU football coach announced Wednesday that he will step down at the end of the season.

“I began an unbelievable journey at Iowa State 12 years ago this month,” McCarney said.

“That journey will be ending for me in a few days.”

McCarney gave his resignation to ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard and then announced his decision to his players before practice Wednesday.

“This is an institution that is definitely bigger than me, we all know that,” McCarney said. “Sometimes you have to put the organization ahead of yourself, and the best thing for this program right now is for me to step down as head football coach at Iowa State.”

Pollard would not answer whether McCarney would have been removed after the season if he had not resigned.

“It was apparent to both of us that the momentum had stalled, and there wasn’t much he or I could do to get that momentum back,” Pollard said. “Long before we ever even would have had to discuss something of that nature, we both realized that we had to put Iowa State University first, and that’s how we ended up where we’re at.”

Pollard also wouldn’t discuss the financial part of McCarney’s resignation, only saying that he would honor all of McCarney’s coaches’ contracts.

McCarney has four years remaining on his contract and a $1.1 million buyout written into that deal.

McCarney came to Iowa State in 1995, rebuilding a team that had gone winless the season before.

The Cyclones made their first bowl game since 1978 in his sixth season and have been to five bowls in their last seven years.

Those five bowl games are more than the previous history of the program, and he is the school’s all-time winningest football coach.

But things turned sour this season. The Cyclones won three of their first five games, but they have lost five in a row and are just 3-7 overall.

Pollard said the direction and health of the program ultimately led to the divorce between McCarney and Iowa State.

“We have to have football healthy,” Pollard said. “If football isn’t healthy, we get stuck, we’re stalemated.”

The decision was hard for Pollard, someone who had looked up to McCarney.

“Dan is a special person,” Pollard said.

“His decision today is another example of how he spent his last 12 years, always putting Iowa State first above himself.

“Nobody wanted Dan McCarney to be more successful than me. I chose Iowa State in large part because of Dan. If I had one wish right now, it would be that this isn’t happening. But that’s not an option.”

Even with his time at Iowa State coming to a close, McCarney chose to recall all the good memories of his time with the Cyclones.

He pointed out his first career win over Ohio in his first game, a renewed rivalry with Iowa, his first bowl game in 2000 and a huge home victory over a ranked Nebraska team in 2002 as some of his highlights at Iowa State.

“It’s been a hell of a ride,” McCarney said. “It’s been one hell of a ride.”

Iowa State has won two bowl games under McCarney – the 2000 Insight.com Bowl and the 2004 Independence Bowl – as well as a share of the Big 12 North in 2004.

His 12 years in Ames made him the dean of Big 12 coaches. McCarney has a 55-84 overall record at Iowa State and a 26-67 conference mark, both school records.

Pollard called this decision the hardest professional choice he has ever had to make.

“Without a doubt,” said Pollard, who teared up on several occasions during the joint press conference.

“When I took the job as athletic director, I accepted a huge responsibility. That responsibility was to always, always put Iowa State University first, even at the expense of my own personal feelings and beliefs.”

McCarney also became emotional while talking about what Iowa State means to him.

“It was the people, the people that I got to go to work with every day,” McCarney said. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world. It’s been the best 12 years of my life, and I’ll never ever forget it.”

McCarney will have two more games to captain the Cyclone ship. Iowa State is on the road for a 2 p.m. contest against Colorado on Saturday.

His final home game will come the following week when Iowa State hosts Missouri.