Steve Patterson was hired to be fired from the get go.

There was a much needed change in athletic director that was apparent to the general public and boosters. From budget cuts to elevated ticket prices, Patterson has caused a stir with most central Austinites. This is why he was only a short term solution.

Patterson is Texas’ “bad” guy. Think Bill Lumberg from “Office Space.” He has a history of shutting donors and regents out of critical decisions. The same situation that is happening now has happened at his previous job at Arizona State University, and have you seen a written complaint about Patterson leaving? Not even a goodbye letter from the school.

This is why he was always there to be fired. If you do not believe that, then watch Texas keep the increased ticket prices after he is gone and tell me otherwise.

His presence at that school will always be seen as a “Game of Thrones” episode. Firing his staff and then having to bring in his wife to help with his work load only amplifies why he was run out of Texas so quickly.

The guy was only there for 22 months and angered all the boosters, all the fans and even Texas’s own band for not paying for them to attend away games.

I cannot believe that he was the “home run” hire for Texas as stated so by previous president of the University of Texas at Austin Bill Powers; Patterson has a history of being an irritating person. This has to lead me to wonder if he was hired to be the short term middle man to make all the bad decisions for Texas at the expense of his own name.

He is the Bill Lumberg of Texas. But at least Patterson makes a big fat check at the end. Patterson never signed a buyout clause which means that he can pretty much ask for however much he feels entitled to.

If Patterson was the short-term, then who was the long-term that Texas was hoping to get? According to Jeff Howe from Horns247, West Virginia’s athletic director, Oliver Luck, was leaning for the job. Oliver did not want to get rid of Mack Brown, he did not want to be known as the guy who fired the man who gave Texas its first National Championship in over 30 years. So then Patterson comes into the picture.

Patterson was never there to access the long-term tenure of the program. He was collecting a check from Texas to be their scapegoat when things went south. 

Just watch Texas retain those elevated ticket prices or at least never as low as they once was in the previous years. Also, look for big name Oliver Luck making his way towards Texas.

Well played Texas, well played.