Gary Andersen confided weeks ago that he wasn't going to hold Oregon State hostage if he didn't think he could win in Corvallis.

He'd throw in the keys, he said.

I rolled my eyes. Didn't believe him.

After all, Oregon State was committed to Andersen through 2021 after the contract extension he just received. Walking away amounted to leaving $12.6 million on the table. But Andersen met on Sept. 25 in the early morning on campus with athletic director and friend Scott Barnes.

That meeting took place Monday after a bye week. Andersen had just spent the off week fuming and fighting through his discouragement. Nine days earlier Andersen lost to Washington State 52-23, but he was frustrated that a $1 million weight room project had the funds temporarily frozen. Also, he had concerns about support from high-level administration at OSU, but he left the 7 a.m. meeting that day with Barnes feeling optimistic.

He told me: "We are on the same page overall. I respect Scott and I won't hold him hostage."

Andersen also reiterated that if he didn't believe he could win at Oregon State he would pull the unprecedented move of tearing up his contract and letting the Beavers go free. And that appears to be what happened late Sunday in Corvallis, resulting in a Monday announcement that shocked the campus.

Andersen was a home-run hire for Oregon State. The Beavers didn't interview any other candidates when he expressed interest in the job. But the former Wisconsin and Utah State coach coach never really got traction at OSU, where he went 7-23.

Andersen worked under three athletic directors in less than three seasons at OSU. Bob DeCarolis hired him, but left months later. Then Todd Stansbury was forced on him. The hire of Barnes was viewed as university president Dr. Ed Ray lining up the football program for success.

That never materialized.

Andersen ran off Mike Riley's recruits. He expressed open frustration with his assistant-coach hires. And he grew increasingly discouraged as the results just didn't materialize.

That same bye week Andersen rode a commercial plane and sat beside former Ducks coach Mark Helfrich on trip that landed in Eugene. They bonded and talked football. I expected that Andersen might try to hire Helfrich one day. Instead, he followed him into unemployment.

I liked Andersen. I thought he could win at OSU, where resources haven't been ample. He was tough, and openly challenged those around him to perform better. But ultimately the same intensity and passion that made Andersen great also made him a candidate for burnout.

Monday's news was a doozy. A major college football coach walked away from $12,630,555 in guaranteed compensation, and gave Oregon State a clear path. He did so in the middle of a season, one in which he reiterated that his players would never quit.

After Saturday's 38-10 loss at USC, I walked past Andersen outside the visiting locker room at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. I said to him, "You need a quarterback." He shot back, "We need a lot of things."

Decide for yourself if Andersen walking out and giving the money back is admirable or cowardly. But while we're at it, let's not miss what he was trying to say with today's news. A football coach who has achieved success in his career walked out the door midseason and essentially said, "I don't think I can win here."

The emphasis was on "here."

He did so after telling me weeks ago, "I am into fixing this place, so what if it kills!"

Andersen warned his assistant coaches that the team had to improve or else. He publicly called them out after games. And he told me that if he didn't think he could fix Oregon State he would "GTFO."

Well, "GTFO" came Monday.

He met with his athletic director. He met with his assistants. Then, he met with his players, to inform them in person.

Andersen made mistakes with his quarterbacks. He ran off too many good players. He made bad coordinator hires. Those were his moves and he botched them. But ultimately when you coach 30 football games and only win seven of them, it takes a physical and mental toll.

Andersen cared deeply. Losing kicks a strong man's soul.

Admittedly, I doubted Andersen would quit. I certainly didn't think he'd walk midseason. I didn't think any man with millions in job security really would chose sitting on the back porch with his dog, watching a sunset. But that's just what happened.

I will be curious to hear what tipped Andersen over the edge. Maybe it was losing badly at USC. Maybe it was the unfinished stadium renovation or frozen funds. Maybe it was something else that just felt like too much.

Oregon State moves on today.

Andersen threatened weeks ago he'd walk, and he just did.

--- @JohnCanzanoBFT