Dive Brief:
- Retiring Navy Adm. William McRaven has been chosen as the “sole finalist” for chancellor of the University of Texas system, and he will take the reins later this year.
- McRaven is retiring as commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command after a 37-year military career, which notably included planning the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
- The admiral graduated from the University of Texas in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Dive Insight:
McRaven replaces outgoing UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa. Aside from being an alum of the university, McRaven spent much of his childhood in Texas, the Washington Post reports. Other retired senior national security officials who took up university leadership positions include Robert Gates — who stepped down as CIA director in 1993, eventually became president of Texas A&M University, and has served as chancellor of the College of William & Mary since leaving his position as secretary of defense in 2011 — and Gen. Charles Krulak, a retired Marine Corps commandant who is president of Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama.