Texas Wisely Fires Steve Patterson, but Mack Brown Shouldn't Replace Him

It takes a lot to move Rutgers off the first page of the college athletics world. A lot.

So congrats, Texas, for that at least.

Yes, the Longhorns—long the belle of the ball among administrators, football fans and 5-star players—finally corrected a mistake the school made 22 months ago when it hired athletic director Steve Patterson.

According to Brian Davis and Kirk Bohls of the Austin American Statesman, along with other reports out of the state capital, University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves made the decision Tuesday morning to fire Patterson after months of speculation regarding just such a move.

While few should be completely surprised Patterson is out on the curb, given the rocky relationships he had with those in power, the timing is nevertheless swift and even a bit impressive. After all, just a week ago, Patterson proudly announced the hire of a new chief communications officer at a reported $250,000 per year.

In short, business appeared to be going as usual at Texas until it wasn’t.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

That should tell you all you need to know about how toxic the situation became between the hard-charging Patterson and Texas staffers, boosters and fans. Fenves had to make a move at some point and did so sooner rather than later for a reason.

Story after story kept making its way into the press about issues the Longhorns had within their athletic department, and the president seemed to realize that keeping Patterson around until the end of the season was not in the school’s best interest.

Patterson, to be fair, did some good things in turning around the department at Arizona State. That in turn helped get him hired at his alma mater for a position that paid him a base salary of $1.4 million a year.

Yet, his inability to connect with coaches and others, combined with a ruthless reputation for chasing the bottom line, is well-documented. Fears of a businessman acting a little too much, well, like a businessman when it came to college athletics proved to be well-placed.

Cliff Owen/Associated Press

Now Texas is moving on from the guy it shouldn’t have hired in the first place. And this time Oliver Luck, West Virginia's former athletic director—the first choice of many in the industry and among the UT alumni—may no longer be available thanks to a cushy job at the NCAA and residence in the city where his son Andrew plays football.

With a coveted job available, there should be no shortage of candidates to consider.

Like clockwork, though, one name has risen to the top of the rumor mill: former Longhorns head coach Mack Brown. A source told Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman there will be a big push for Brown to become the new athletic director.

Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs is on board with the idea:

To be clear, though: Hiring Brown to become the next AD at the university is a terrible idea. Texas, for your sake, don’t double down on bad decisions.

It’s understandable why the school would at least consider giving Brown the job. He’s one of the more charismatic individuals you’ll meet; he’s firmly entrenched in Austin; he knows how to sell the Texas brand; and he’s extremely close with those in the media and the school’s power brokers. Heck, his attorney, Joe Jamail, has his name on the field the Longhorns play at and is as deeply embedded as any booster around the country.

Still, it would be a mistake.

Longhorns defensive end Bryce Cottrell noted just how much turnover there's been at the school recently:

Let us not forget that Texas football’s—i.e. the golden goose of the department—current woes are mostly because of Brown’s mismanagement in the final years of his tenure. He was labeled a CEO head coach but doesn’t have any real experience running a large department as an administrator, a key requirement for the school that brings in more revenue than nearly any other in the country, per USA Today.

Giving Brown the top job would also severely undermine current head coach Charlie Strong's efforts in just about every single way.

It’s time to clean house, not get stuck in the past. Brown brought a title to Austin in 2005, but he also underachieved given the school’s resources. He’ll be a media darling, and his current status as an ESPN announcer will likely bring some favorable headlines to a place that hasn’t seen many of them.

Brown is simply not the right choice, though.

This is a critical time for Texas. Its apparel contract with Nike is expiring in June 2016, and a lucrative extension will be the first order of business for the new AD. Longhorns football needs to get back on track, and a new or renovated basketball arena is on deck. The Longhorns need a good athletic director who is capable of greatness, not somebody people like because he’s folksy.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

So cast aside Brown, and focus on the candidates who could make a difference in restoring the luster that’s been lost over the past four years or so. Swallow your pride and inquire about Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. Put in calls to Michigan State’s Mark Hollis or Northwestern’s Jim Phillips. Better yet, ring up Arizona’s Greg Byrne or drive up I-35 and bring back TCU’s Chris Del Conte.

All of them have the track records, persona and acumen to do the job to its fullest potential.

So move on from Brown, and move on from Patterson.

More than anything, Texas, move forward. The only headlines you should be sharing with Rutgers should be on the field after a blowout win.

Sadly, that’s not the case this week.

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.