AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A seven-person advisory panel announced Monday to aid the search for a new Texas men's athletic director includes two school regents, a former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and billionaire donor to the athletic program.
The panel was announced by President Bill Powers as the school tries to find a replacement for longtime athletic director DeLoss Dodds, who is retiring in 2014 after 32 years and built Texas into the nation's richest athletic department with an annual budget of nearly $170 million.
The panel includes Regents Steve Hicks and Robert Stillwell, who are the governing board's athletics liaisons, and Pamela Willeford, who served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President George W. Bush.
The panel members have "deep ties" to the school and Longhorns athletics, Powers said.
"Their guidance will be invaluable as I work over the next few weeks to find a new athletics director who will build on our program's success," Powers said.
Robert Rowling, a former regent whose $5 million donation prompted the school to name the east side of the football stadium after his father Reese Rowling, also is on the panel. Owner of TRT Holdings Inc., which includes Omni Hotels and Gold's Gym, he is estimated by Forbes to be worth almost $5 billion.
Robert Rowling's donations also helped build the men's and women's basketball practice facility, and the football team's indoor practice field, according to the athletic department website.
The panel members have "deep ties" to the school and Longhorns athletics, Powers said.
"Their guidance will be invaluable as I work over the next few weeks to find a new athletics director who will build on our program's success," Powers said.
Texas also has said it will hire the Korn/Ferry recruiting firm to help in the search for candidates.
Powers said he and the committee will also seek guidance from alumni, regents, faculty and students. Although Dodds remains under contract until Aug. 31, 2014, Powers has said he'd like to hire his replacement in the next couple of months.
Also on the panel are Texas accounting professor Michael Clement, Charles Matthews, former vice president of Exxon Mobil and current president of the Texas Exes alumni group, and investment banker Charles Tate, a former business partner of former regent Tom Hicks, the brother of current regent Steve Hicks.
