AUSTIN, Texas -- DeLoss Dodds, the Texas athletic director who built the program into a Goliath of college sports in terms of wealth, power and prestige, said Tuesday he is ready to retire and leave the Longhorns -- and some potentially tough coaching decisions -- in someone elses hands after three decades at the helm. Darius Kasparaitis Jersey . The 76-year-old Dodds has led the Texas program since 1981, when he took a job that oversaw an athletic department budget of about $4 million. He will leave it Aug. 31, 2014, with an annual budget of nearly $170 million, upgraded and expanded facilities, and its own television network. "This is a big day for me. Ive thought a lot about it," Dodds said at a campus news conference with university President Bill Powers. "In 62 years, it will be the first time I havent had a job ... Thats long enough to work ... Weve had a great run." Dodds will move into a paid consulting role after he steps down as AD. Powers said a search for Dodds replacement will begin immediately and the new boss could step into the job as soon as being hired, with Dodds helping make the transition. "We do not need somebody in a week," Powers said. "We can be thoughtful." Instead of just a long goodbye for an administrator who wielded influence over not just Texas but over entire conferences, Dodds departure intensifies speculation over football coach Mack Browns future with the Longhorns. Dodds and Powers have been Browns strongest allies against a restless fans base frustrated by three sub-par seasons and a 2-2 start in 2013. Brown, who has been at Texas since 1997 and won the 2005 national championship, has often noted their support and Tuesdays announcement means a key piece of that foundation is leaving. Brown is under contract until 2020 and has said he wants to keep coaching. He will be paid about $5.4 million this year with annual raises in his contract. Dodds deflected questions about potential coaching changes, saying his replacement should be involved in such decisions. "Im not going to go there," Dodds said. "Thats an answer that will work itself out over the next several weeks. Anything this department does significantly needs to have the hands of the new person." Brown was at football practice and did not attend the news conference, but the school released a statement from him calling Dodds "a great leader and great friend." "I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to work for him for 16 years, and I know I speak for many when I say Im happy he will be helping the departments transition to a new athletics director," Brown said. Dodds is under contract at Texas through 2015 at $700,000 per year with a $1 million annuity if hes employed at the end of August 2014. Dodds came to Texas from Kansas State in 1981 and presided over an expanding Texas empire at a time the business side of college sports was rapidly growing. During his tenure, the Texas mens program has won 14 national championships and 108 conference titles, most notably the football national championship, the schools first outright football title since 1969. Dodds oversaw creation of the Longhorn Foundation, which pulled all the fundraising efforts for individual sports under one roof, and donors poured money into the athletic program. Over the past 20 years, Texas has spent $400 million on facilities as it grew into a massive, money-generating machine with the largest athletic budget in the country. Dodds also shepherded the schools move from the old Southwest Conference into the Big 12, and the schools 20-year, $300 million partnership with ESPN for the Longhorn Network, a 24-hour channel dedicated to Longhorns sports. The network, seen as a pioneering effort when first announced, proved to be a wedge between Texas and several Big 12 schools, some of whom eventually left the league. The network struggled to gain major distribution until finally signing a deal to be broadcast to Time Warner customers in Texas. Dodds also navigated two rounds of conference upheaval in recent years. In 2010, Texas flirted with joining the Pac-12 before deciding to stay in the Big 12. When another round of conference moves again threatened the stability of the Big 12 in 2011, Texas helped stabilize the conference as a 10-team league. Powers called Dodds a visionary and "one of the giants in college athletics" who commanded the respect of university presidents, coaches and league commissioners. Still, the athletic program is in a bit of turmoil. Galvanized by the hiring of Brown in 1997, the football team had a dominant run from 2000-2009 during which the Longhorns went 69-9, won two Big 12 titles and twice played for the national championship. The program has slipped in recent years with a 24-18 record, including a 12-10 home record, since 2010. The mens basketball and baseball programs have declined as well. Basketball had its first losing season in 15 years under coach Rick Barnes last season, and the baseball team, once a perennial power, missed the NCAA post-season the last two years. Earlier this month, a Texas regent said he and a prominent former regent spoke in January with Alabama coach Nick Sabans agent in an attempt to lure Saban to Texas if Brown retired. Dodds said hed have made the same decision to retire whether the football team was 4-0 or 0-4. He said it was time to spend more time with his wife and family. "We need to go to Tuscany, need to see the leaves turn in the north," Dodds said. "Theres a lot of life we need to live that we havent lived because weve worked." Greg Millen Jersey . Cammalleri scored two goals, Corban Knight netted the winner in a shootout, and the Flames erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Stars 4-3 on Friday night. Roberto Romano Jersey . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/951q-paul-coffey-jersey-penguins.html . LOUIS -- The St.Salvador, Brazil - The United States did well to emerge from the "Group of Death," but the Americans are keen on making further waves in the World Cup, starting with Tuesdays clash with Belgium at the Arena Fonte Nova. You can listen to all the action on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, TSN Radio 690 in Montreal, TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa, and TEAM 1410 in Vancouver beginning at 4pm et/1pm pt. After opening Group G play with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Ghana, the Americans looked certain to progress to the knockout round when they carried a one-goal lead into the final minute of stoppage time against Portugal. But a late goal from Silvestre Varela left the U.S. to fight Germany with a spot in the round of 16 at stake. The Yanks suffered a 1-0 defeat in the finale, but Portugals 2-1 victory over Ghana in Group Gs other contest was enough to put the U.S. through to the next round on goal difference. According to U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, advancing from the toughest group in the World Cup was a great accomplishment, but he does not want the Americans to be satisfied with that feat. "Its a great achievement to get out of this group and into the knockout rounds," Klinsmann said following the defeat to Germany. "It was a difficult game, both physically and mentally, because the knowledge that a draw would be enough was always at the back of our minds. We were a bit too nervous and showed them too much respect at the start but we calmed down as the match wore on. Weve got a great team and we put in a superb performance. We could have created a few more chances but overall Im satisfied. "It was one of the most difficult groups at the tournament. Ghana and Portugal are good teams and Germany are one of the favorites to win the title. Were still learning and growing as a team. Now everything starts from scratch again because the knockoutt rounds are very different. Ken Schinkel Jersey. " Klinsmann made waves before the start of the tournament by stating that the United States realistically could not win the World Cup, but he signaled his true ambition for the team by instructing the players to plan for a long stay in Brazil. "I think if everybody goes to his own personal limit in the context of the team, were going to go further in this tournament," he told reporters. "But youve got to realize that moment. So I asked everybody, all the players, to make sure that all their flights are booked after July 13 (the date of the final). Thats just how you have to approach a World Cup, no matter what happens now. You can always change your flights, so start with the end in mind. The end is July 13. "Every single day were going to have on the knockout stage, can we do it? Yes we can. This is now one of the benchmarks. We want to be in the top ten, top 12 of the world one day. So if we want to be there, this is now the moment." Belgium should provide a stern test for the Americans, though. The two nations have faced one another twice during Klinsmanns tenure as U.S. coach with Belgium coming out victorious on both occasions. But in the World Cup thus far, Belgium has been slightly underwhelming. The Red Devils claimed maximum points from their three matches of the group stage, but the performances have been rather unconvincing. At many times, Belgium has looked disjointed, as if the immensely talented individuals on the team were playing for themselves. The Americans, by contrast, have been a well-oiled unit playing off one another both in attack and in defense. Belgium, strong on paper, coming up against an American side that has been made to grind out results makes Tuesdays tussle at the Arena Fonte Nova one of the more intriguing clashes of the round of 16. ' ' '