The Avery Johnson era appears to be nearing an end at the University of Alabama.

The school and Johnson are currently negotiating a buyout for what would be a mutually agreed upon parting of ways, AL.com reported first Thursday night. The discussions remain active a day after the Crimson Tide season ended in the NIT.

Johnson said on Wednesday he had met with Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne on Saturday and discussed the future of the program. That was before losing 80-79 to Norfolk State after which an opposing player noted a lack of energy in Alabama’s warmups.

Johnson’s contract was extended in August 2017 to run through the 2022-23 season. It included an $8 million buyout if Johnson was dismissed before April 15, 2019. It drops to $6 million after that.

Johnson has a 75-62 record in four seasons with one NCAA tournament appearance in a tenure.

Johnson made $3.062 million last year, according to the USA Today salary database released last week. That made him the 19th highest-paid coach in the country.

“I love being the coach here at Alabama. That’s my plan," Johnson said after the game Wednesday night. “I made that crystal clear to Greg in our (Saturday) meeting. And hopefully they feel the same way. But I’m committed to it. I still have time left, obviously on my contract.”

This story will be updated.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.