Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton has announced that he is resigning in an effort to help the Volunteers move on from a "period of turmoil that needs to end."

Hamilton, who made the announcement Tuesday, has faced criticism for the coaches he hired and later fired during the past three seasons and for NCAA violations committed by those coaches that has resulted in a major ongoing investigation.

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek says he did not force Hamilton out but did not try to convince him to stay when Hamilton approached him about resigning last week. Hamilton's buyout will be $1.3 million over three years.

Cheek says he will name an interim athletics director in the coming days and hopes to have a permanent replacement by the beginning of the football season.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton has announced he will resign at the end of the month as the program wraps up a lengthy NCAA investigation process.

A news conference was called for 11 a.m. Tuesday.

"My family and I love the University of Tennessee, and we love Knoxville," Hamilton said in a statement. "We have poured out our lives over the last 19 years to try to make this a better community, a better athletic program and a better university."

Hamilton did not say in his statement why he was resigning, though he has faced criticism for the coaches he hired and fired during the past three seasons and for NCAA violations committed by those coaches that resulted in a major investigation into recruiting.

During his eight-year tenure, Hamilton fired coach Phillip Fulmer and replaced him with Lane Kiffin, who left the Volunteers after one season to coach at Southern California. Hamilton also hired and fired men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who turned the Vols' program around, but was accused by the NCAA of lying during its investigation.

Hamilton has said several times since revealing in September that the NCAA was investigating Tennessee's basketball and football programs that the violations the Vols were facing were the result of a few coaches acting on their own accord.

Tennessee has since been charged with 12 major violations, and Hamilton and other athletic officials will meet with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions on Saturday.

"The University of Tennessee's athletic programs have experienced great success under Mike Hamilton's leadership," Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said. "Mike has led our teams to success on and off the field. Mike is a man of high integrity and deep faith. His contributions to our campus and its faculty, staff and students will live on for many decades, especially his positive influence on our student-athletes. We will miss him."