On Tuesday, the Texas Longhorns hired Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson.
Let the battle for football success begin….
On history’s side, you have Mack Brown and Deloss Dodds. A pair of established sports executives whose records speak for themselves. Their hard work and knowledge of the game vaulted the Longhorns to unprecedented success. Mack Brown guided the Texas Football program to at least 10 or more wins for 9 consecutive seasons, a feat no one else has accomplished (at least in modern day history). Deloss Dodds has won 14 national championships as athletic director at Texas. He also helped build The University of Texas into the brand it is today. Despite the tremendous success in year’s past, Dodds and Brown have lost lost the hunger for success and lack the effort and fight needed to put Texas back on top .
Looking forward, the Longhorns have Steve Patterson as the new face of Texas Athletics. Â Patterson’s a UT Law School graduate and has a distinguished sports-business career which includes immense success in both professional and collegiate athletics. Â He’s a visionary and has a drive for success, which makes him the perfect candidate for the job. Â His decision making at each of his stops has led to long term success despite his short tenures at several of them.
The Establishment versus The New Guy
The Establishment wants to wave their big stick, show the fanbase that they can still get the job done because they have the track record to prove it. The New Guy wants to prove he can get the job done. He is eager to show that his ability to make wise decisions will lead to long term success for all athletic programs at Texas.
It will be interesting to see how the balance of power will play out over the next 9 months. Deloss Dodds will still have his office in Bellmont and he will have rapport with the administrative staff. Â How would he respond to a staff member who potentially has a grievance about the new AD? Dodds is 74 years old and if I was that old, I wouldn’t take it from some younger guy who thinks he knows more than me. Can Texas trust Dodds enough to swallow his pride to do what’s best for the university? I don’t know but if there is an internal struggle at Bellmont, it will make things much more difficult for the athletic programs and for the University. Consult and advise. Be professional. Â Those are my pieces of advice. Â This has nothing to do with an individual – this is for the future. Any discontent and the momentum gained from this hire will evaporate. If Texas is to continue to control the brand, everyone needs to accept their new roles and stand behind Texas.
