 
Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds
· Dodds pleased with accomplishments, energized for what's to come [Longhorn Scoreboard, Jan. 2008] The leader behind one of the nation's most successful athletics programs, DeLoss Dodds is in his 28th year as men's athletics director at The University of Texas. Dodds has guided Texas through some of the school's most dynamic times since assuming the position as UT's ninth athletics director in fall 1981. During his tenure at Texas, the Longhorns have claimed 12 National Championships and 97 conference (Southwest and Big 12) titles in nine different sports. UT has earned 20 bowl berths, received an NCAA basketball tourney bid 18 times and won three NCAA baseball titles while advancing to the College World Series 12 times under Dodds' watch. The Horns also have claimed eight NCAA and 27 conference swimming and diving crowns, made 15 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in tennis (eight league titles) and been a regular among the nation's best in golf (11 conference crowns and 13 Top 10 NCAA finishes) and track and field (18 conference indoor/outdoor titles). Football's run to the BCS Championship during the 2005-06 athletics season highlighted arguably the most successful stretch in UT Athletics history. Football has posted seven straight 10-win seasons and ranked among the nation's top six four times, among the top 13 all seven years and won six bowl games, including the Longhorns' 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl for the National Championship. Basketball has advanced to five Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights in this span, including a trip to the 2003 Final Four. Baseball has won a pair of NCAA titles (2002, 2005) and advanced to the College World Series four times. Swimming and diving won the 2002 National Championship and finished among the top four five times. Golf has registered three top 10 showings at nationals, while the outdoor track and field program has registered three top nine finishes, including a third-place showing in 2006 at the NCAA Championships. Indoor track and field has placed among the top 10 at nationals five times including a third-place finish at the 2008 indoor championships, and cross country has registered two top-10 NCAA finishes. Texas placed fifth in the final 2007-08 Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division I standings. Texas has finished in the top three four times in the last seven years. The award honors the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. The Longhorns have had seven straight top-10 finishes in addition to recording a top 10 finish 12 times in the 15-year history of the Directors' Cup: 2nd (2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05), 3rd (2005-06), 4th (1995-96), 5th (2007-08), 7th (1993-94 and 1996-97), 8th (2006-07), 9th (1999-2000) and 10th (1994-95 and 2003-04). Dodds was honored with 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 and particularly college football. This came just one year after he was named the Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal National Athletic Director of the Year. In February 2007, Dodds was inducted in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He also earned his place in the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1997. In addition to spearheading the Longhorns' success on the field, Dodds has changed the face of UT Athletics. He led the way in the creation of the Longhorn Foundation, which has grown to more than 13,000-plus members whose annual gifts have increased to approximately $26 million. Dodds, who manages a $127 million athletics budget at UT this year, has helped the Longhorns renovate or build more than $348 million in facilities during the last 14 years. The most recent renovations are a $176 million project to add the north end zone to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium/Joe Jamail Field and a $27.3 million refurbishment and renaming of UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The north end zone includes a 20,000 square foot academic center, 47 suites, 1,988 club seats, a 15,000 square foot club area, and 2,200 chair back seats. UFCU Disch-Falk Field features 19 suites, player development areas and new FieldTurf. Since 1995, Dodds has overseen the construction of the 69,750 square foot indoor training facility known as "The Bubble" and establishment of Frank Denius Athletics Fields; the doubling in size of the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletics Center; improvements to the Dana X. Bible Academic Center in Bellmont Hall; construction of the Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium; improvements to the Penick-Allison Tennis Center; a $55 million renovation to the Frank Erwin Special Events Center; the addition of the two-story, 44,000 square foot basketball training facility, the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion; and the addition of the varsity teams' Golf Academy at the UT Golf Club. Prior to coming to Texas in 1981, 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 of the Big Eight Conference for two years. A 1959 graduate of Kansas State with a degree in physical education and a minor in psychology, Dodds was a prep football, basketball and track standout whose football career at Kansas State was cut short his freshman year by a knee injury. After spending time in graduate school and serving six months in the Army, he returned to his alma mater as assistant track coach in 1961. He became head coach in 1963 and served in that position for 14 years. During that time, he guided K-State to six Big Eight titles. In December of 2006, Dodds was inducted into the U.S. Track Coaches Hall of Fame for his accomplishments at K-State. Dodds was inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. A native of Riley, Kan., Dodds and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children, Doug, Deidre and Debra, and six grandchildren. (09/09/2008)
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28th year as University of Texas Men's Athletics Director
