Huntington, W.Va. ? Marshall football coach Bob Pruett retired Wednesday after nine years at the West Virginia school.

The 61-year-old Pruett told the team of his decision in the morning and held a final news conference three hours later. Larry Kueck, Marshall’s associate offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, will serve as interim coach.

“It’s not about winning and losing. It’s not about money. It’s not about anything I didn’t get,” Pruett said. “It’s just time. It’s well thought out. This is not a sudden thing.”

Athletic director Bob Marcum, a former AD at Kansas, was disappointed, but he respected Pruett’s decision.

“There’s no doubt, I’ve tried everything possible to talk coach Pruett out of it. In fact, I offered him my job,” Marcum said jokingly. “I said, ‘Listen, if you want to be the athletic director, that’s no problem. I’m highly mobile.’

“He said, ‘That’s crazy. I’m giving up one pressure cooker. Why do I want to take another one?”‘

The decision comes as Marshall prepares to enter Conference USA this fall. The Thundering Herd finished their final season in the Mid-American Conference with a 6-6 record, their first non-winning season in 21 years. The school moved to Division I-A in 1997, a year after it won the Division I-AA national championship.

Pruett is the most successful coach in Marshall history, going 94-23 with five MAC championships and five postseason bowl victories.

“I’m not stepping away from Marshall,” Pruett said. “All I am is just taking a different role. I’m becoming a supporter and a fan.”

Pruett said he plans to meet with interim Marshall president Michael J. Farrell in April to see if he can continue with the university in another capacity.