Tennessee athletic director John Currie, who had been leading a disastrous coaching search, has parted ways with the university after meeting with school officials, including chancellor Beverly Davenport, on Friday morning, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Mike Leach met with Tennessee to talk about the school’s coaching vacancy, but a source told ESPN the two sides haven’t negotiated and that a deal is not imminent.

Currie flew back earlier Friday to Knoxville after interviewing Washington State coach Mike Leach on Thursday in Los Angeles. University officials instructed Currie not to broker a deal with Leach or anybody else prior to returning to campus, sources told ESPN.

Tennessee was close to hiring Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano on Sunday, but the deal fell through due to backlash from fans and supporters. Currie had also courted Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Duke’s David Cutcliffe, NC State’s Dave Doeren, Purdue’s Jeff Brohm and new Florida coach Dan Mullen.

(PHOTO: John Currie)