Seattle, WA -- (Sports Network) - Tyrone Willingham will be retained as head coach of the Washington Huskies.

The decision came following a year-end meeting between Willingham and university president Mark Emmert on Tuesday night, which was delayed until Wednesday afternoon due to Emmert's indecision on Willingham's status after the discussion.

"Everyone connected to Husky football, from the coaches and players to the students, alumni and fans, is disappointed with this season's record," said Emmert in a statement.

Willingham has put together an 11-25 record in three years as head coach, including a 4-9 mark against the nation's toughest schedule this past season The Huskies finished 2-9 and 5-7 in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

"Our central goal is to build and sustain a program that gives our student- athletes the best chance to achieve excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in life," Emmert continued in the release.

"I believe Tyrone Willingham has the talent, character and drive to reach the level of success we all want for our football program. He and I have discussed the need to evaluate all aspects of the program, determine what changes need to be made to strengthen it, and set in motion those changes to point the program in the right direction. Everyone understands we need to become more competitive, and I am confident Tyrone will do what it takes to make that happen."

Willingham's current contract is due to expire after the 2009 season. If he were fired before January 2, 2008, the university would have had to buy him out at $3 million.

The 53-year-old has compiled a 76-76-1 record as a head coach with Stanford (1994-2001), Notre Dame (2002-2004), and Washington.