After much speculation, University of Texas President Bill Powers confirmed that Steve Patterson will succeed DeLoss Dodds as athletic director of the university later this fall, who is retiring after 32 years as the school's A.D.
Patterson's resume includes a stint with the championship-era Houston Rockets, the Houston Aeros hockey team, the Portland Trailblazers and played an integral role in helping bring an NFL franchise back to Houston in the Houston Texans. In a statement released this afternoon, however, Powers praised his most recent work at Arizona State University.
"Far more important, he's run a winning program at Arizona State that places students first and is committed to their lifelong success," Powers said.
A UT alum, Patterson's nomination is expected to be confirmed by the UT Board of Regents next week, and could begin his tenure as late fall, UT says.