The University of Texas is reportedly set to fire athletic director Steve Patterson on Tuesday amid growing criticism from both outside and inside the department. Former Longhorns linebacker Mike Perrin is slated to take over the position on an interim basis.
Brian Davis and Kirk Bohls of the American-Statesman report fan complaints over rising tickets prices paired with fading confidence from the school's coaching staffs prompted the move. Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated confirmed Texas' decision to move on, which could be announced by day's end.
Chip Brown of Horns Digest stated Texas regents and school president Gregory Fenves had a conference call Monday night to resolve the situation.
The American-Statesman report noted there was no buyout clause included when Patterson signed a guaranteed contract through August 2019 when he was hired in 2013. It could leave Texas on the hook for $5.6 million, unless the sides agree to a reduced amount.
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports highlighted the issue with ticket prices in June. Texas raised the cost of attending a football game after last season by an average of 21.5 percent despite going 6-7, including a blowout loss to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl.
That decision started to turn fans against Patterson and the lost of faith from within the school's coaching community led the school to make the change, according to the American-Statesman report.
Davis and Bohls also point out former football coach Mack Brown was contacted by Fenves last week, but it's not believed he's a candidate for the AD job at this time. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports provided the thoughts of a source that thinks there will be a push for Brown, though:
Once the Patterson decision becomes final, Perrin will take over on a temporary basis. He starred for Texas as a linebacker in the 1960s and was named to the Longhorns' Hall of Honor in 2010. He'll handle the duties while the search for a full-time replacement takes place.
Feldman highlighted a previous missed opportunity that would have likely allowed the school to avoid this mess:
Patterson hired two coveted coaches for Texas' most high-profile coaching positions: Charlie Strong (football) and Shaka Smart (men's basketball). He still lost support from the school's supporters, however, and that eventually led to his exit.
It's unclear how quickly the school wants to get a new full-time athletic director in place. Perrin is an interim with a strong sense of Texas' rich history, so there shouldn't be a major rush to fill the void until they are sure it's the right decision.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2566987-texas-ad-steve-patterson-reportedly-to-be-fired-mike-perrin-to-be-named-interim
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