The University of Oklahoma College of Law is honored to recognize the retirement of Dean Emeritus Andrew M. Coats. Dean Coats will conclude his full-time faculty service at the end of the Spring semester in May, bringing to a close his remarkable service to the College of Law, which is just one highlight of an extraordinary career defined by public service, legal excellence, and lasting institutional impact. He will continue to shape future generations of lawyers as an Adjunct Professor during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Few figures in Oklahoma’s legal and civic history have left a legacy as broad and enduring as Coats. A native of Oklahoma City and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Coats has spent nearly seven decades serving the law, the state, and the University with distinction.
Coats earned his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 1957 before serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He returned to OU to earn his JD in 1963, graduating as an Outstanding Law Graduate and member of the Order of the Coif.
His legal career quickly distinguished itself at the highest levels. As a trial lawyer, Coats successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark NCAA v. Board of Regents case, which reshaped college athletics by breaking the NCAA’s television monopoly.
Coats’ commitment to public service is equally remarkable. He served as Oklahoma County District Attorney from 1976 to 1980, prosecuting significant and complex cases, and later as Mayor of Oklahoma City from 1983 to 1987. During his mayoral tenure, he championed infrastructure improvements, strengthened cooperation across levels of government, and expanded civic engagement through advisory boards and initiatives that continue to influence the city today.
In 1996, Coats returned to his alma mater to serve as the eleventh Dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Law and sixth Director of the Law Center. Over the next 14 years, he led a renaissance at the College. His tenure saw major growth in scholarships and endowed professorships, as well as the transformational renovation and expansion of the law school facility. In recognition of his leadership, the building was renamed Andrew M. Coats Hall.
Following his deanship, Coats continued teaching full-time, mentoring students with the same passion and rigor that defined his career.
Beyond campus, Coats has held numerous leadership roles, including president of the Oklahoma Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers, as well as service as a trustee of the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society. He is a Fellow and past president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a longtime leader at Crowe & Dunlevy. His many honors include being named “Outstanding Lawyer in Oklahoma,” induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and recognition by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit with its prestigious Professionalism Award.
Dean Coats’ legacy is not only reflected in the building that bears his name, but in the generations of lawyers, leaders, and public servants he has mentored, many of whom now serve across Oklahoma and the nation.
As he transitions to this next chapter, the University of Oklahoma College of Law celebrates a career that exemplifies the very best of the legal profession: excellence, integrity, leadership, and service.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.