Vice President for Athletics, Dr. Howard Patterson, will be taking initial steps to retirement in August and accepting a new role over the summer to serve as the Athletic Program Strategic Planning Administrator.
Since 2001, athletics at UT Tyler has been synonymous with Dr. Patterson. He founded UT Tyler Athletics, launching 18 NCAA programs and leading the Patriots through the transition period to the NCAA Division III and then Division II levels. Dr. Patterson is a nationally recognized intercollegiate athletics leader and mentor. At the Division III level, the Patriots won seven National Championships, 67 American Southwest Conference Titles, and produced 97 All-American selections. UT Tyler softball just won its first NCAA Division II National Championship this past week in Florida. He is retiring as the longest-serving Athletics Director among UT System athletic programs.
In addition to his athletics leadership, Dr. Patterson held other administrative roles over his career, including Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Interim Vice President and Vice President of Student Affairs, Vice President for Auxiliary Services, and Vice President for Administration and Government Relations. Dr. Patterson graduated from Springfield College and earned a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of North Texas.
Before coming to UT Tyler, Dr. Patterson was the men's soccer coach and instructor of physical education at Midwestern State where he was 221-85-20 (.709) and a 16-time NAIA District Coach of the Year. In 1988, Patterson was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year. After 17 seasons, he moved to serve as the athletics director at Incarnate Word where he also coached men's soccer for eight seasons and was an assistant professor. He would win 155 games coaching the Cardinals and finished his coaching career with 395 victories. He is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame for coaching soccer, the Midwestern State University Hall of Honor as a men's soccer coach, the University of Incarnate Word's hall of fame, and the Westboro High School Hall of Fame.
Head Coach for Men's and Women's Tennis, Chris Bizot, has been named Interim Athletic Director effective June 1 to continue the momentum for UT Tyler Athletics while a national search is conducted for a permanent Athletic Director. Bizot will continue to serve in his role as head men's and women's tennis coach through the transition.
As we get closer to August, UT Tyler will celebrate Howard and his remarkable career. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Patterson on this new role, his upcoming retirement and for his extraordinary tenure leading UT Tyler Athletics.
Sincerely,
Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP
President
