The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Dodds announces retirement as Texas Men’s Athletics Director
10.01.2013 | Texas Athletics
University of Texas Men’s Athletics teams won 14 national championships and 108 conference titles during DeLoss Dodds’ 32-year leadership.
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Press conference transcript
AUSTIN, Texas -- In 32 years of unprecedented leadership as a Division I athletics director, DeLoss Dodds has guided The University of Texas to national acclaim and championship success. Under his guidance, the Texas Longhorns have won 14 National Championships and 108 conference (Southwest Conference and Big 12) titles in nine different men's sports.
On Tuesday, Dodds announced his intention to retire as Men's Athletics Director, effective Aug. 31, 2014.
"I love The University of Texas, and I love the people. We've had a great run," said Dodds, 76. "I have been contemplating this decision for awhile. (University of Texas President) Bill Powers and I have talked it over, and this is something I am ready to do at this time."
Dodds said he will remain active through the department's transition.
"I promised to let people know well in advance. I want the university to have the appropriate amount of time to find a successor, and I want to ensure that the athletics department can prepare and execute a succession plan for new leadership," Dodds said.
Powers will lead the efforts to find a new Men's Athletics Director for The University of Texas.
"DeLoss Dodds is one of the giants of college athletics," Powers said. "His vision reshaped The University of Texas and the entire NCAA, and it's been an honor to both work with him and call him a friend for so many years.
"I know that we will never truly be able to replace DeLoss Dodds. But the house that he built will remain strong for future generations of Longhorns."
Since Dodds became the sixth athletics director in the fall of 1981, UT Men's Athletics has enjoyed some of its most dynamic times. Football's run to the BCS National Championship during the 2005-06 season underscores, arguably, the most successful period in UT Athletics history.
Football's fourth national title at the 2006 Rose Bowl highlights a decade of excellence that featured at least 10 victories in nine consecutive seasons, five-straight bowl victories and appearances in the national title game in 2006 and 2010.
Additionally, Men's Basketball advanced to a school-record 14 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2003, Sweet 16 appearances in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2008 and three Elite Eight appearances in 2003, 2006 and 2008. Baseball has advanced to the NCAA Men's College World Series seven times since 2000, winning national championships in 2002 and 2005.
"Our Longhorn teams have regularly won conference and national championships, produced the highest quality student-athletes and -- like DeLoss -- displayed integrity on and off the field," Powers said. "He embodies all that is great about the university, the state of Texas and college sports."
A priority for Dodds is to help student-athletes succeed in the classroom, in their sport and in overall life experience at Texas and beyond. Dodds' goal from the beginning was to build a state-of-the-art program – and to be the best, Texas needed the best. Over the past two decades, UT has invested nearly $400 million to renovate or build facilities.
"Everything we do here is for the kids," Dodds said. "The well-being of the student-athletes is our every motivation."
Dodds, who oversees the largest athletics budget in the country, created the national model for intercollegiate athletics fundraising. In 1986, he guided the creation of The Longhorn Foundation, the department's official fundraising leg. Before its existence, approximately $250,000 was raised annually by various UT sport booster clubs. Through Dodds' vision, those clubs were folded under the umbrella of The Longhorn Foundation, which raised more than $1 million in its first year.
In the history of the foundation, which now boasts more than 13,000 donors, more than $400 million have been raised for student-athlete scholarships, academic services, sports medicine and facilities.
Dodds was a central figure in forming the Big 12 Conference, which began competition in 1996-97. UT has been a committed member of the Big 12 since its inception, and Dodds' stable vision helped guide the Big 12 through the unstable climate of conference realignment in the summer of 2010.
In January 2011, UT and ESPN announced the creation of the Longhorn Network, the first sports network devoted to a single school. LHN launched on Aug. 26, 2011, and has since been awarded with eight Regional Emmy Awards.
For 2012-13, LHN will televise more than 175 original events and 700 original studio shows. In addition, more than 400 hours of coverage will be devoted to live campus events.
Dodds was honored as the 2005 and 2011 Athletic Director of the Year by Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, the two leading publications on the business of sports.
Dodds received the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's John L. Toner Award in December 2006 for demonstrating superior administrative abilities and showing outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football.
In February 2007, Dodds was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Prior to his time at Texas, Dodds turned a struggling, "in-the-red" athletics department into a money-maker in three years as director of athletics at Kansas State. He also served as assistant commissioner at the Big Eight Conference for two years.
Born in Riley, Kan., Dodds was a prep football, basketball and track standout -- known as the "Riley Flash." He later graduated from Kansas State in 1959 with a degree in physical education and a minor in psychology.
After spending time in graduate school and six months in the Army as a tank commander, Dodds returned to his alma mater as assistant track coach in 1961. He became head track coach in 1963, and in 14 years as head coach, Dodds guided the Wildcats to six Big Eight titles.
Dodds and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children -- Doug, Diedre and Debra -- and seven grandchildren.
TEXAS MEN'S ATHLETICS UNDER DODDS (1981-present)
National Championships: 14
Baseball: 1983, 2002, 2005
Football: 2005
Men's Golf: 2012
Men's Swimming and Diving: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010
Statements on DeLoss Dodds' Retirement
Mack Brown, Texas Football head coach
DeLoss has been the best athletics director in the country for a long, long time and built a model athletics department here. He is absolutely as good a boss as anybody could ask for, and he really cares about the coaches, kids and everybody in all of our programs. DeLoss was a great athlete himself, successful coach and directed a program that achieved tremendous success on and off the field. He's a man of great character who accomplished all of that while maintaining great integrity and honesty, just the perfect model for an athletics director. We are so lucky to have him.
DeLoss is a great man, great leader and great friend. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to work for him for 16 years and know I speak for many when I say I'm happy he will be helping the department's transition to a new athletics director and will be on board here to support the department after that.
Rick Barnes, Texas Men's Basketball head coach
No one person has seen college athletics change more than DeLoss Dodds. The way that he handled and adapted to all these changes has separated him from everyone else in the business. Honestly, if the NCAA is going to name trophies after people for their accomplishments, they should think about putting his name on their award of the highest honor. Because there is no doubt that DeLoss has been the best -- the very best -- at his job for a long period of time.
What I most admire about DeLoss has been his approach to the job. Being the athletics director here at Texas was his job, but it has never been his identity. DeLoss saw the big picture better than anyone. That was apparent the first time I met him, and it's never changed, along with a tremendous passion for The University of Texas.
We all know the expectations when it comes to winning here at Texas. Trust me, no one wanted to win more than DeLoss Dodds. His track record speaks for itself. But he always emphasized doing things the right way while protecting the integrity of The University of Texas.
Augie Garrido, Texas Baseball head coach
It is well known that DeLoss Dodds' legacy includes national championships in almost every sport, fantastic facilities, the Longhorn Network, countless USA Olympic medal winners, and one of the most financially successful athletic departments in the country. But what is less known about him might be more important than all of the above. He lives by the university code of conduct and its core purpose. The code of conduct states 'The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.' The core purpose is 'To transform lives for the benefit of society.'
He quietly funded fully equipped study halls, hired the best academic counselors in America, provided fifth-year scholarships, unlimited tutors and mentors, and whatever necessary to help the student-athlete get a degree from The University of Texas.
Ricky Williams, 1998 Heisman Trophy winner
DeLoss Dodds was one of the people that made my experience at The University of Texas so memorable. And it's not just me and my family, I know I speak for thousands of Longhorn student-athletes who had the opportunity to be around him during their playing days and beyond when I say that. He's not only a great guy who is unbelievably supportive of all of us, but he also did everything in his power to provide a first-class experience in every area that touched our lives. DeLoss was there for us in victory and defeat, brought in the best staff in America to coach and develop us and provided us with the resources that helped us achieve on the field, in the classroom and in life. I have great appreciation for everything he's done for me.
