COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Dennis Franchione didn't just decide this week that he would like to be the football coach at Texas A&M. He coveted the job a long time.

	Dennis Franchione, right, will receive a salary between $1.5-$2 million annually.

Franchione officially got his wish Friday when he walked away from the head coaching job at Alabama after two years and accepted a six-year contract worth $1.5 million to $2 million a year to replace R.C. Slocum at A&M.

"Texas A&M has been a place that always has been on a short list for me,'' Franchione said. "This is one of the places that, if I could end up here one day, that would be great.''

When Franchione was coaching at Texas Christian, he had a clause in his contract allowing him to pursue the head coaching job at A&M, if it became available. Instead, after three years at TCU, he moved on to Alabama.

The Aggies finally came to the top of Franchione's list in rapid-fire negotiations with A&M that started early this week, after the Crimson Tide completed its season with a 21-16 victory over Hawaii.

Franchione and A&M representatives worked out details of his contract late Thursday in Dallas, then flew to College Station to announce the deal.

"I felt that I was at a fork in the road in my life at 51, and I needed the opportunity to hear what A&M had to say, so that when I made that decision to go right or left, I could go full-speed ahead,'' Franchione said.

Franchione Imports Seven Tide Assistants

Dennis Franchione announced the hiring of eight new Texas A&M staff members Tuesday, including seven assistant coaches. All served on Franchione's staff at Alabama. Additions include a new director of football operations, Charley North, a former longtime assistant coach at Oklahoma and Arkansas. Named as assistant coaches were Alabama aides Stan Eggen, Lee Fobbs, Jim Bob Helduser, Kenith Pope, Melvin Smith, Chris Thurmond and Mark Tommerdahl. In his announcement, Franchione did not designated specific coaching duties. At Alabama, Eggen coached the defensive line, Fobbs the running backs, Helduser the offensive line, Pope the receivers, Smith the safeties, Thurmond the cornerbacks and Tommerdahl the tight ends and special teams. "I've worked with these coaches, and we're a team," Franchione said. "Being familiar with one another and our system will help move this process forward, and our players will see that their coaches are on the same page." The plans of Franchione's two coordinators at Alabama have not been announced. Defensive coordinator Carl Torbush is believed to be pursuing head-coaching possibilities. Les Koenning Jr., a former Texas A&M assistant under R.C. Slocum, served the last two seasons as Franchione's offensive coordinator at Alabama. -- ESPN.com news services

A&M athletic director Bill Byrne -- who himself was hired away from Nebraska just this week -- introduced Franchione in a conference room at Kyle Field. The Aggie War Hymn blaring as Franchione entered, and his remarks were piped outside to fans listening in the stands.

Franchione's new job wasn't treated with similar jubilation back in Alabama. He was criticized for bolting after convincing players to stay even though the school was on NCAA probation and was barred from bowl games.

"Those players stayed because they loved Alabama, and maybe I was part of that,'' Franchione said. "All we did was coach them in the best possible manner to help them achieve their goals. This was just something I needed to do.''

Franchione said Alabama's status -- on NCAA probation for recruiting violations that occurred before he got there -- played a major role in his decision.

"It's a difficult decision for people to understand when you leave that place,'' Franchione said. "You have to give a great deal of thought to the people that you affect because of your love for the players.''

Franchione said, however, that he owed his first loyalty to his wife, Kim, and family.

Franchione took over rebuilding projects at TCU and Alabama. TCU was 1-10 the year before he arrived in 1998. The next year, they began a string of five straight bowl appearances with a win over Southern California in the Sun Bowl.

The Crimson Tide was 3-8 in 2000 but improved to 17-8 during Franchione's tenure, including a 10-3 finish this season.

"I'm coming here for a lot of reasons,'' Franchione said at A&M. "Tradition and history is certainly a part of that.'' He noted that the school hasn't had a losing season since 1982, when the Aggies went 5-6.

"That's exciting to me, because it's my first time to take one over that has a foundation in place and not coming off a losing season ... that's a nice way to get started,'' he said.

Franchione said part of his Alabama coaching staff probably would join him but that he also wants to interview assistant coaches from Slocum's staff.

"I think some will come,'' Franchione said of his Alabama assistants. "We want to also evaluate the coaches who are here and see how they fit into the puzzle. We're going to put together the best staff we can.''

Slocum was fired Monday, three days after the Aggies finished a disappointing 6-6 regular season with an embarrassing 50-20 loss to rival Texas.

The Aggies still could be invited to a bowl game and Franchione said details of who would coach the team had not been worked out.