Mack Brown to replace Steve Patterson as Texas athletic director?

The University of Texas has fired athletic director Steve Patterson, and one of the names rumored to be a possible replacement is very familiar to Longhorns fans.

As Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman first reported, Texas school officials were working on a buyout with Patterson, whose contract runs through August 2019. He was still guaranteed $5.6 million, though there may have been an agreement to lower the number. The Associated Press reported that Patterson has been fired.

According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, there will be a “big push” for Texas to hire legendary Longhorns football coach Mack Brown to replace Patterson.

Source tells @FoxSports "Not sure it'll go thru, but there will be a big push for Mack (Brown) to become the next AD at #Texas."

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 15, 2015

The Statesman notes that Brown recently met with University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves, but a source insists Brown is not being considered for the permanent athletic director position. Former Texas linebacker Mike Perrin is expected to be named the interim AD.

Though his decisions to hire Charlie Strong for the football program and Shaka Smart for the basketball team were applauded, Patterson has been criticized for a number of financial decisions. Texas reported in January that the athletic department suffered a $2.8 million loss for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which was the first time the department lost money in over a decade.

The once-dominant Texas football team has struggled in recent years, and Brown has been quick to deflect responsibility away from himself for its current state. However, some of the reasons why Brown was pushed out seem to contradict that.

While Brown would be a popular hire because of his name, running an athletic department is far different from coaching a football team. The move seems unlikely.