CHRYSTAL MCCONNELL /ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Former UA football coach John Mackovic addresses the media in a press conference after Saturday's loss to TCU. Mackovic's contract was terminated by the university today.

John Mackovic has been fired as Arizona head football coach, Athletics Director Jim Livengood announced at a press conference this afternoon.

Arizona is off to a 1-4 start this season, and most recently suffered a 13-10 overtime loss to TCU last night at Arizona Stadium.

"It's my responsibility to provide the best colligate experience possible to our almost 500 student athletes," Liven good said. "It's not - and it never will be -totally about winning. It is about the experience."

"John Mackovic is a good man and a good football coach, but for whatever reason, has not been a good fit for the University of Arizona football program," he said. "That's as much my responsibility as it is his."

Mackovic's firing ends his tenure of two full seasons and five games this season at the helm of the Wildcats. Mackovic had complied a 10-18 overall record in that time, including a 4-14 mark in Pacific-10 Conference games.

Livengood said the decision to let Mackovic go was made this morning. He held an all-players meeting, followed by a meeting with Mackovic himself. Livengood said he would not divulge what was said at either meeting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIZONA ATHLETICS Mike Hankwitz has been named Mackovic's successor. Hakwitz was formerly the Wildcat's defensive coordinator.

"I made a decision two and a half years ago that I truly believed at that time was in the best interest of our program, and has proved not to be," Livengood said of his decision to hire Mackovic in Dec. 2000.

Livengood named Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz as interim head coach while the athletics department looks for a replacement.

"It's my belief (Hankwitz) will work for and with this excellent football staff as we move forward," Livengood said.

Livengood said the decision was made in the best interest of the players and had nothing to do with fan unrest and Internet chat room discussion.

One Wildcat fan had started a site called www.firemackovic.com. At 4 p.m. this afternoon, the counter on that site indicated that it had gotten more than 23,000 visits since it was started about three weeks ago.

Mackovic was earning just over $800,000 per year, and had been the second-highest paid state employee in Arizona. Only ASU football coach Dirk Koetter was earning more.

DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Athletics Director Jim Livengood announces Mackovic's firing this afternoon.

Mackovic's contract was bought out for $909,000. As of the end of this season, he would have had $1.6 million remaining on his 5-year, $4 million contract.

The Associated Press contributed to this report