Texas athletic director leaving a ‘mutual decision’

STATEMENT FROM STEVE PATTERSON After considerable discussion, the University of Texas at Austin President, Gregory Fenves, and I have agreed that our great university will be best served by a new men’s athletic director. Mike is a devoted Longhorn and respected Texan who I firmly believe will strengthen relationships with and among our student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, students and alumni.

The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the school had not announced the move. No official announcement has been made.

Patterson has a guaranteed contract through August 2019 that pays him at least $1.4 million per year. He was promised a 2.5 percent raise each year and received benefits like a auto allowance and a country club membership.

In an announcement discharged by the school, Fenves left probably in the matter of why he settled on the choice (accentuation included).

Texas president Greg Fenves introduced Perrin at a Wednesday news conference in Austin. Former Longhorns coach Mack Brown is not being considered for the permanent AD job, according to the Austin American-Statesman. That job paid $500,000. With a new basketball coach and new football coach, there was no one else to blame or fire in a panic to make fans happy except Patterson. “Said it would bore him to death”.

Fenves had met multiple times with Patterson about his personal approach, and had planned to evaluate Patterson at the end of the calendar year. Even though some fans are becoming restless with the Strong regime, there’s a growing consensus that the firing of Patterson will have little effect on the job security of Strong.

Fenves would not say he fired Patterson, 57, but said “this has been a decision that’s been building over recent weeks”, and noted he had heard from “hundreds if not thousands” of Texas fans. He was labeled a CEO head coach but doesn’t have any real experience running a large department as an administrator, a key requirement for the school that brings in more revenue than almost any other in the country, per USA Today. “I don’t see us really focusing on that”, Patterson said a year ago.

The hires are Charlie Strong in football and Shaka Smart in basketball. According to Horns Digest, Jamail declined to renew the suite he had at the stadium for the 2015 football season.

Patterson infuriated fans with a major football season-ticket price hike, rather poorly timed coming off a 6-7 season.

Fenves said his goal is to continue the historic tradition of Longhorn athletics saying, “I’m confident Perrin will fulfill legacy”.

Patterson also wanted to play a home game in Mexico City.

Some talking heads Tuesday were warbling about Patterson’s firing being a warning shot at Strong, who is a mere 15 games into his Texas tenure. All athletics are important but football makes the money. Prior to his time at Arizona State, Patterson spent time in the front offices of the Houston Texans and Portland Trailblazers.

Texas is making a change at the top of its athletic department.