Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson hired as next Texas athletic director

UPDATE: Texas has confirmed the Orangebloods.com report in a press release which included a statement from UT President Bill Powers.

“Steve Patterson emerged as the perfect candidate to build on Texas’ athletic success and DeLoss Dodds’ legacy,” said Powers. “Steve helped build an NBA championship team and brought the Super Bowl game to Houston. Far more important, he’s run a winning program at Arizona State that places students first and is committed to their lifelong success.”

Additionally, as part of the agreement allowing Patterson to leave Arizona State for Texas, Patterson cannot hire anyone from Arizona State.

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Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson has agreed to become the next athletic director at the University of Texas, according to Orangebloods.com.

“It’s been agreed to by both sides,” a high-level UT source told Orangebloods.

The Patterson hire was reported by several other outlets, including Sports Illustrated and the Austin American-Statesmen.

The hire has yet to be officially announced by Texas, but Arizona State president Michael Crow confirmed the hire and wished Patterson well in a statement.

Patterson was chosen to replace DeLoss Dodds over West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck, who was the other finalist for the job and was widely seen as the frontrunner heading into the weekend due to his relationship with UT president Bill Powers.

Ultimately, due to Patterson’s “marketing and management skills and no-nonsense approach,” he edged out Luck for the job.

According to the Orangebloods.com report, many involved in the athletic director search “feel a culture change is needed in the UT athletic department.” Patterson reportedly “blew committee members away” in his interview with an advisory committee and as a UT alum has “the personality and the loyalty to Texas” to do the job.

Patterson has experience working in professional sports in Houston. He was in upper management with the Houston Rockets, the Houston Aeros minor league hockey team and the Houston Texans. He also worked in the Portland Trail Blazers organization before starting his own business in 2007.

He was hired as Arizona State’s athletic director in March 2012 and was behind many projects at ASU, including renovating the school’s football stadium, negotiating a new site for a baseball stadium and creating a 425-acre Sports Facilities District adjacent to the university.

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