AMES, Iowa - Iowa State's Dan McCarney resigned Wednesday after 12 seasons as the Cyclones' football coach, leaving the program after one its most disappointing years.

Iowa State coach Dan McCarney watches his team during this college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State officials have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006, to make an announcement regarding its football program. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

McCarney, the Big 12's longest tenured coach, will coach the Cyclones for their final two games of the season.

"Sometimes, you just know its time," said McCarney, who was under contract through 2010. "As hard as it is to say that — especially because I know that this department is on the cusp of some special things — I realize it is time for different leadership."

He is 55-84 record at Iowa State, including a 26-67 mark in the Big 12, but also guided the program through one of its most successful periods.

Speculation about McCarney's future had been heating up over the past month. The Cyclones (3-7, 0-6), who were expected to compete in the Big 12 North with an experienced offense, have lost seven straight games to Division I-A opponents — by an average of 20 points — and are one of two teams from BCS conferences to start 0-6 in league play.

McCarney led the Cyclones to a bowl game last season for the fifth time in six years. Iowa State had gone 22 years without a postseason appearance.

But last week's 41-10 home loss to Kansas eliminated the Cyclones from bowl eligibility.

The Cyclones play Saturday at Colorado and finish the season Nov. 18 at home against Missouri.

"It is with sadness that I accept Dan's decision," athletic director Jamie Pollard said. "I had hoped to see coach McCarney lead the Cyclones successfully for many more years. But, it's the true measure of this man that he was unselfish in assessing what was best for Iowa State."

Iowa State came within one win of reaching its first Big 12 title game in each of the last two seasons, only to lose the season finale.

McCarney took over at Iowa State in 1995 after five seasons as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. He spent the first 13 years of his coaching career as an assistant at Iowa.

McCarney's departure marks the third major coaching change at Iowa State since Pollard took over in September 2005. Pollard fired men's basketball coach Wayne Morgan in March after the Cyclones finished 16-14 and missed out on postseason play. Pollard promoted former Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson to head wrestling coach later that month.