Mike Anderson leaving Missouri for Arkansas

(CBS/AP) - It's official, the Mike Anderson saga is over. The Missouri basketball coach is trading tigers for razorbacks and moving to Arkansas.

"We are extremely excited to welcome home Mike Anderson to the University of Arkansas as our new head men's basketball coach," Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long said in a statement.

After days of confusing stories and statements - including one from Anderson himself saying, "I plan on being at Missouri for a long time" - the school confirmed the move as current and former players were entering Mizzou Arena for an emergency team meeting.

Anderson had flirted with other schools at the end of the past three seasons, including offers from Georgia and Oregon. Anderson's deal with Arkansas will be for $2.2 million a year for seven years, according to ESPN.

Anderson was 111-57 in five seasons at Missouri, including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2009. The Tigers were 23-11 this season, losing to Cincinnati in the Round of 64 in the NCAA tournament. He was 89-41 in four seasons at Alabama-Birmingham before that.

Before UAB, Anderson was Nolan Richardson's assistant at Arkansas for 17 seasons. He was part of three Final Four trips with the Razorbacks, including when they won the national championship over Duke in 1994 and finished as runners-up to UCLA a year later.

Following Richardson's firing in 2002, Anderson served as Arkansas' interim coach for two games. He then interviewed for the position before being passed over in favor of Stan Heath.

Missouri's Columbia Daily Tribune described what it called "increased disillusionment" among Missouri fans over Anderson's repeated dalliances with other schools as well as the Tigers' poor performance at the end of this season.

After beginning the year with a No. 15 ranking and a 14-1 start, Mizzou lost five of their last six games and were knocked out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Cincinnati 78-63.