Leroy Sutherland was not a Texas Longhorn athlete — he was one of the most important behind‑the‑scenes figures in UT Athletics history.
Leroy W. Sutherland Jr., was a longtime Academic Counselor and later Compliance Coordinator for the University of Texas at Austin Athletic Department. His career at UT spanned 21 years, beginning in 1986. Known for his steady presence, institutional knowledge, and athlete support. A guardian of eligibility, academics, and compliance.

Leroy W. Sutherland, Jr. age 80, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 16th, 2026 at Ascension Seton Williamson with his wife, Nancy (Nichols) Sutherland at his side. They recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in January.

Leroy was born in 1946 in Bangor, Maine. His father served in the U.S. Army in WWII and his mother was a fantastic cook in Bangor restaurants and at home.

From a young age, Leroy roamed the Maine Woods, hunting and fishing with his father and friends and went to beaches and parks with his extended family. He served for four years as an officer in the Bangor High ROTC. He was an outstanding marksman and a good map reader. In his senior year of high school, he was quarterback for the Bangor High Rams and they “lost the state championship in a blizzard”.

Damn good, man, Coach Sutherland! Godspeed Coach! – Todd Smith

All the players loooved LĒROY! WE imitated him in his NortherN accent!!! Scott Bethea

Leroy was a nice guy and boy did he love the horses!!!! He visited with me in the office many times about them. Scott Bethea

– MANOR_D0WNS!!🐴 🐴he liked to sēē the Hosses Run – Lael Moore Hasty

Leroy was truly one of the good guys. Tiger Hanner

So sad to hear this. Leroy was a great guy! My condolences to his family. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🤘🏽 Bob Napoles

Eastern New Mexico University: Leroy earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. He took a year off to nurse his mom back from an illness and that is where he learned to cook.

U.S. Army: In 1971, he was drafted into the Army, then after Officer Candidate school, he spent almost 7 years in the Army. He rose to the rank of Captain in Air Defense Artillery, serving in five states, the Republic of South Korea, with special mission locations during the Vietnam Era, earning the Army Commendation Medal.

Texas A&M University: In 1977, he used his GI Bill to attend graduate school in Recreation and Parks Management at Texas A&M University and started working in the Athletic Department. He was promoted to Academic Counselor and Dorm Manager in Cain Hall with Nancy joining him after their marriage in 1981. He completed his Master’s in 1983 and started on doctoral work in Health Education.

Memphis State University: In January 1985, Memphis State hired Leroy to be Director of Athletic and Academic Services for Men and Women. Leroy and Nancy remembered these busy 18 months with a smile.

The University of Texas at Austin: In fall of 1986, Leroy took the Athletic Academic Counselor job and in his 21 years at Texas there was “never a dull moment”. He was either the Academic Counselor or the Compliance Coordinator (or both). He and Nancy both worked on campus. Happily, they were big sports fans and were privileged to attend exciting events including National Championships, Final Four, and Texas/OU.

A common theme throughout his life was helping thousands of 18-22 year old men and women. Leroy also appreciated working with so many awesome coaches, wonderful colleagues, faculty, alumni, dear relatives, and friends who made a positive difference in his life. Years later, many still remember the advice he gave them.

If you feel inclined to donate in honor of Leroy, please consider the Dallas 24 Hour Club or the Neighborhood Longhorns.

We will be celebrating of the life of LEROY W. SUTHERLAND, JR. (1946-2026)

Saturday, April 25, 2026 — Noon – 2 pm

Light refreshments at noon and a brief presentation at 1:00 pm.

The Lone Star room at the Retreat in Sun City 1220 Cattleman Dr. Georgetown, TX 78633

We hope you’ll have some stories and memories of Leroy to share.

If possible, please RSVP to sutherlandleroy7@gmail.com

The Beached Ring

In early October 2019, I received a phone call from a bartender in Hawaii who said he had read the TLSN website and knew he could reach me through my profile. The bartender said that a guest at the hotel found a Big XII Texas track Championship ring on the beach near the hotel. He said the name on the ring was “Sutherland” and “compliance.” After some detective work and a few emails, Chris Plonsky, Ivan Wagner, and Tyrone Scott responded and said the ring belonged to Leroy Sutherland, a compliance officer for UT. Below is the correct historical photo sequence of the story about the “beached” ring.

Leroy says :

After 21 years in the ocean a large Big 12/Texas Longhorn Track ring was found by a Fall City, Washington man, Jesse Sheppard, who was snorkeling for treasures and shells for his little girl, Harper. He found it on a beautiful beach on Maui called Maluaka Beach. That evening their waiter, Robert Park, overheard their conversation about the ring and was interested because he had attended UT!. Rob contacted Billy Dale who put it on Facebook for his Detectives of Longhorn Sports history to help out. Several track athletes then got word to me through Facebook.

How did it get there?

Leroy continues:

In the spring of 1997, Texas Men’s Track won the first Big 12 Outdoor Championship and created an outstanding record for the team. Back then, I was Compliance Coordinator and was honored to receive it from Coach Bubba Thornton. Interestingly, instead of having the “Name” and “track event or coach”, it had “Sutherland” and “Compliance”. It was a large, imposing ring with the Big XII in gold on the stone.

In November of 1998, I wore the ring on a trip with the John Fields Golf team to the Stan Sheriff Classic Golf Invitational. On the trip, it was my job to supervise their study sessions since finals were only weeks away. Coach Fields’ wife, Pearl, and my wife, Nancy (an academic advisor in History at UT) were chaperones for the very long plane trip and the stay in the Maui Prince Hotel, southwest side of Maui.

During my one and only brief swim in the crescent beach (Maluaka), the ring slipped off in a wave. We looked for it in the water near the shore but to no avail. Over the years, we often wondered if anyone would ever find the ring.

I believe the ring was probably found very close to where it was originally lost. Putting all the facts together, as well as seeing the picture of adorable 5-year-old Harper wearing the gigantic ring (to make sure that pirates didn’t get it again), was a blast.

Thank you to Jesse, Rob, Billy, and all those who made this fun story come full circle after 21 years.

Horns up for Leroy Sutherland, who played a significant role in enriching the lives of so many Longhorn boys turning to men.