Ex-TCU football coach Gary Patterson is working at Texas as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian according to Horns247. Patterson was spotted at Tuesday night’s Texas-Kansas State basketball game with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and sources have confirmed to Horns247’s Chip Brown the respected coach is beginning his job with the Longhorns.
Patterson went 181-79 as the head coach for the Horned Frogs from 2001 to 2021.
Earlier this month, a new posting for “Special Assistant to the Head Coach” surfaced on the University of Texas website, leading to speculation that role would be filled by Patterson. Within the job description on the Texas website was a lengthy number of prerequisites indicating that the ideal candidate will be one with an extensive track record of coaching success at a high level of football. “Experience as an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator in a Division I Collegiate or NFL football program” was additionally listed as a preferred qualification for the position on the Longhorns staff.
Patterson, 61, parted ways Oct. 31 with TCU — midway through his 21st season as the Horned Frogs’ head coach. A defensive-minded coach, he went 181-78 overall and 113-59 against conference play from 2001-21, making him the winningest head coach in program history. TCU won the Rose Bowl under Patterson at the end of the 2010 season and flirted with a College Football Playoff bid in 2014.
Horns247 previously reported Dec. 13 that Sarkisian and the staff were considering possibly adding Patterson in a defensive role. Following Horns247’s report, Sarkisian did not deny interest in Patterson.
“I’ve got, obviously, a great deal of respect for Gary,” Sarkisian said Dec. 15. “He’s done a fantastic job. Really built that program into what it is and to make it one of the more desirable jobs in the country, I give him a lot of credit for that. I know that he’s trying to figure out in what capacity does he want to continue this profession. We have not made any determination on if we would want him here or if he would want to be here, but the reality of it is there’s definitely a level of respect for the job that he’s done at TCU.”
Following Patterson’s exit, longtime friend Jerry Kill and TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati believed the respected coach was not done in his profession.
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“He certainly could,” Donati said Nov. 2. “You all know Gary. He’s a young 61. I wouldn’t put anything past coach Patterson to coach again. College, pro — I know he has a lot of other interests. I hope he takes some time to think about what he wants to do, because he has a lot to offer the game of football. And I don’t think that’s over necessarily.”
Garrett Stepien and Dean Straka contributed to this report.
