 
Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds
29th year as University of Texas Men's Athletics Director · Dodds pleased with accomplishments, energized for what's to come [Longhorn Scoreboard, Jan. 2008] In his backyard, near Austin's temperamental and rocky greenbelt, DeLoss Dodds has cultivated a lush expanse of greens and flowering blooms. Landscaping is a hobby -- Dodds grew it all with his hands. He's done something similar with the Texas Longhorns. Football's run to the BCS National Championship during the 2005-06 season highlights, arguably, one of the most successful periods in UT Athletics history. The Longhorns' fourth national title underscores a decade of excellence that features at least 10 victories in each of the past eight seasons, five straight bowl victories and three BCS victories in the past five years. Additionally, Basketball is in the midst of a school-record 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, with Sweet 16 appearances in five of the past seven years, and two Elite Eight appearances in the past three years. Baseball has advanced to the NCAA Men's College World Series six times in the last 10 years, winning the national championship in 2002 and 2005. The achievements and accolades go on and on, touching every student-athlete and every coach in every sport, but there is just one common denominator -- Dodds, the charming man from Kansas whose vision and leadership has helped change the face of Texas Athletics. "If I have to say what I'm proudest of, one thing has to absolutely be the people," Dodds says. Dodds is a consummate family man, who spends summers vacationing and golfing with his kids and grandkids, and that feeling comes through in the offices of Bellmont Hall, the UT Athletics headquarters. Dodds has coaches' and staff members' birthdays plugged into his Blackberry. "It's about how you treat people," Dodds says. "We are a family. We depend on each other. And for everyone here, in good times and bad times, I want them to know that I'm going to be the one standing right there behind them." Dodds' goal from the beginning was state-of-the-art -- to be the best, Texas needed the best. Over the past two decades, Dodds and the Longhorns have used $380 million to renovate or build facilities. The most recent renovations include the more than $200 million project to upgrade Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. With the new Red McCombs Red Zone on the stadium's north end and an expanded south end zone seating area, stadium capacity is now more than 100,000. The Red McCombs Red Zone includes a 20,000 square foot academic center, 47 suites, 1,988 club seats and 2,200 chair back seats, plus a food court and executive meeting space. This project also includes south end zone construction that added bleachers, a new football academic center and expanded training and medical facilities. The natural grass playing surface was also removed in favor of the more durable FieldTurf. UFCU Disch-Falk Field, home to the championship baseball team, recently received a $27.3 million refurbishment that features 19 suites, a player development area and new FieldTurf. Faithful Texas fans also enjoy an expanded concourse, more concession areas and rest rooms. Dodds, who oversees a $130 million athletics budget, guided the creation of The Longhorn Foundation, the department's official fundraising leg. Before the Foundation was started, approximately $250,000 was raised annually by various UT booster clubs. In just its first year, The Longhorn Foundation raised more than $1 million. In the 25-year history of the Foundation, which now boasts 13,000-plus donors, more than $293 million has been raised for student-athlete scholarships, academic services, sports medicine, facilities and all other facets of UT Athletics. 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, particularly college football. This came one year after Dodds was named the Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal National Athletic Director of the Year. 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. Born in Riley, Kan., Dodds was a prep football, basketball and track standout -- they called him 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 serving six months in the Army, Dodds 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, Dodds guided Kansas 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 with the Wildcats. Dodds was also inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. Dodds and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children -- Doug, Deidre and Debra -- and eight grandchildren. (28 Aug 2009)
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