Report: Texas athletic director interviews to include favorite Oliver Luck

West Virginia athletic director Oiver Luck is considered a frontrunner for the same title at Texas. (AP) The University of Texas will officially begin the

West Virginia athletic director Oiver Luck is considered a frontrunner for the same title at Texas. (AP)

The University of Texas will officially begin the interview process in its search for a new athletic director including favorite Oliver Luck, according to Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.

A "well-connected source" said the eight-member advisory group appointed by school president Bill Powers a month ago will begin conducting official interviews with Luck, the athletic director at West Virginia, and at least two other serious candidates this weekend. The interviews will take place outside of Austin, probably in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Reports have made Luck the early favorite to succeed DeLoss Dodds who is retiring after 32 years as the school's athletic director. West Virginia will be in Texas this weekend for Saturday's game at TCU in Fort Worth. Luck's son, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, will also be in Texas this weekend when his team plays the Texans in Houston on Sunday night.

“No decision has been made,” a source close to the process said Wednesday, “but Oliver is very much a candidate and a very strong candidate.”

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Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long and Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson were also named as possible candidates by the source in Bohls' report. Long was recently named the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee, on which Luck also sits. According to the source, Long might be a long shot even if he's offered the UT job.

The source said Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long may be among those interviewed although a close friend said he would be “very surprised” if Long were interested in leaving Arkansas.