AUSTIN, Texas — The awkward dismissal of Texas football coach Mack Brown came first. That was followed by the firings of school President Bill Powers and basketball coach Rick Barnes. ADVERTISING AUSTIN, Texas — The awkward dismissal of Texas football
AUSTIN, Texas — The awkward dismissal of Texas football coach Mack Brown came first. That was followed by the firings of school President Bill Powers and basketball coach Rick Barnes.
Now athletic director Steve Patterson is gone, too, after less than two years — an abrupt end to his rocky tenure atop the nation’s wealthiest athletic program that remains in turmoil.
Patterson, whose aggressive approach to raising money rankled fans and some major donors, resigned Tuesday in what university President Greg Fenves called a “mutual” agreement.
Fenves refused to say he fired Patterson but said “this has been a decision that’s been building over recent weeks,” and noted he’d heard from “hundreds if not thousands” of Texas fans concerned about the program.
Patterson’s departure came three days after a plane carrying a “Patterson Must Go” banner circled the football stadium before the Longhorns’ first home game of the season. His tenure lasted only 22 monthts.
Patterson was responsible for two popular hires — football coach Charlie Strong and basketball coach Shaka Smart — but also raised ticket prices after a losing football season, pushed coaches to raise money for endowed scholarships and created a fan “loyalty” program to prioritize ticket purchases.
And while Strong still enjoys the support of fans, he is 7-8 overall in his second season. Smart hasn’t yet coached a Texas game.
“Change is never easy, but I have every confidence that UT Athletics will continue to thrive as it embraces the future” Patterson said in a statement released by the school.
Firing Patterson creates a major void at a Big 12 power at a time when some league presidents are pushing to expand from the current 10 members, and trying to solidify their position in the new College Football Playoff. And it comes as Texas is seeking a lucrative new apparel contract once its current deal with Nike expires in 2016. Nike recently partnered with Michigan in a deal worth a reported $169 million.
Fenves previously met several times with Patterson after complaints from fans and donors, which had reached as high as Board of Regents Chairman Paul Foster.
Patterson has a guaranteed contract through August 2019 that pays at least $1.4 million per year. Fenves said a negotiated separation deal will go to the board of regents for approval.
Fenves said Texas will hire former Texas football player Mike Perrin, a Houston attorney, as interim athletic director on a $750,000 contract through August 2016.
Patterson was supposed to be a hire that would calm turbulent waters at Texas.
The university had put together a star-studded committee to find a replacement for DeLoss Dodds, a powerful figure who retired in October 2013. An impressive interview won Patterson the job over former West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck, who many had considered the favorite for the job.
Pressure to fire Brown was already building to fever pitch before Patterson arrived in November 2013. Brown was fired barely six weeks later in the first of several major departures.
