Texas football formally announces hiring of former Big 12 rival

Gary Patterson is back in the coaching game — and staying in the Big 12.

Patterson is joining Texas as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns confirmed Friday. He recently left TCU after 21 seasons with the Horned Frogs.

The winningest coach in TCU history, Patterson mutually agreed to part ways with the program in October. He amassed a 181-79 record as the Horned Frogs head coach after spending two seasons as their defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 1998-2000.

TCU moved to hire SMU coach Sonny Dykes after parting ways with Patterson. He spent 2017 under Patterson as an offensive analyst, meaning it’s familiar territory.

Texas struggled in Sarkisian’s first season at the helm. The Longhorns went 5-7, just missing out on bowl eligibility. But they picked up a huge recruiting win in the offseason, landing former Five Star Plus+ recruit and Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers.

More on Gary Patterson’s move to Texas

Patterson will be joining defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and his staff, looking to improve on poor results from last season. Texas was one of the worst defenses in the Big 12, giving up 426 yards per game. Being able to stop the run was a major issue for the Longhorns.

Now, the man who continually got results against Texas will be joining the Longhorns. Since TCU joined the Big 12 back in 2012, Patterson was able to win seven of the nine matchups. Although Steve Sarkisian got his sole victory during the 2021 season, Patterson swept Charlie Strong (3-0), had a winning record against Tom Herman (2-1), and split matchups with Mack Brown (1-1).

Brown and Patterson did meet up in 2007 as a nonconference game, with Texas winning out.

Patterson will have different colors on for the first time since the 1998 season when TCU hired him as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He was promoted to head coach before the 2000 season and was in Fort Worth for just over two decades.

The Horned Frogs program reached a level it never has before, contending for national championships during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. A Rose Bowl win over the Wisconsin Badgers was the peak under Patterson, finishing with a perfect 13-0 record and No. 2 in the AP poll after Oregon lost in the national championship to Auburn.

Patterson has widely been known for his intense defensive scheme. He has put countless players into the NFL, especially in the secondary. Now, he will work with Texas, a school that has struggled to cover in the Big 12 for years now.

If the role Patterson assumes is an on-the-field one, he will face off against TCU for the first time on Nov. 12 in Austin. A reunion in Fort Worth will have to wait until next season, assuming the Longhorns do not jump to the SEC beforehand.