The University of Texas chief operating officer Jim Davis, who has close ties to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was named interim president of the flagship university. According to system leadership personnel,

University of Texas System officials have named James E. Davis as interim president of the flagship, taking over for outgoing President Jay Hartzell immediately. Davis most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at the University of Texas at Austin.

The University of Texas at Austin now has an interim president. On Wednesday, Chancellor James B. Milliken named James E. Davis as the interim president, which is "effective immediately," according to the UT System.