Less than two years on the job, athletic director Steve Patterson has been fired at Texas.

According to multiple outlets, the hammer came down Tuesday morning from university president Gregory Fenves who, along with several other powerbrokers in Austin, are growing tired of the football program’s lack of positive momentum and increasing disdain within the fanbase.

Patterson brought Charlie Strong to Texas following Mack Brown’s exit in 2013 and was credited with convincing VCU’s Shaka Smart that Longhorns basketball was a good fit. Ongoing internal strife and miscommunication among Patterson, boosters and university leaders makes for a messy exit.

Patterson’s guaranteed contract through 2019 was reportedly worth at least $1.4 million annually.

Will this affect Strong’s future as head coach?

Many think it will since Patterson was one of his leading advocates. The former SEC defensive coordinator who won a BCS bowl at Louisville with Teddy Bridgewater is just 7-8 at Texas and has fallen behind several in-state programs for national relevance.

If Strong becomes a free agent at the end of the season, we could see a Will Muschamp scenario where several Top 25 programs call for his services on defense.

Strong was a successful coordinator at Florida (on several staffs including Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer) and spent three seasons under Lou Holtz at South Carolina before winning 37 games at Louisville from 2010-13.