Mack Brown is still working for Texas ... outside the United States. (USATSI)
Mack Brown is still working for Texas ... outside the United States. (USATSI)

Mack Brown is currently leading a University of Texas contingent in the Middle Eastern state of Dubai that hopes to build an “international brand” for the school, a source told CBSSports.com.

It’s no secret that Texas athletic director Steve Patterson wants to extend Texas’ reach. The men’s basketball team is playing a game in China next season. There have been reports of Patterson looking to play a football game in Mexico City.

Dubai became an attractive location, according to the source, because of Texas oil interests in the country.

Brown -- the Longhorns' football coach from 1998-2013 -- has been tweeting pictures since the arriving in the country this week. The images included former players David Thomas and Ricky Brown. The Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday that the trip is “football-related meant to explore future possibilities for Texas athletics.”  

The paper also said Patterson’s wife, Yasmin, was there. She speaks Arabic.

Brown works as a special assistant to the university president. He just completed his first season as an ESPN analyst.

Dubai is one of seven states in the United Arab Emirates.