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USC Trojans targeting Gary Patterson as program's next defensive coordinator

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney01/21/26ErikTMcKinney

The USC Trojans are closing in on hiring former TCU head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Gary Patterson as the program’s next defensive coordinator.

Patterson is the winningest head coach in TCU history, coaching the Horned Frogs from 2000 through the middle of the 2021 season. He finished with a record of 181-79 and his run at TCU included six conference titles and 11 10-win seasons while overseeing a jump from Conference USA, to the Mountain West and finally the Big 12. Patterson is credited for developing and refining the 4-2-5 defense that many programs continue to run as their base defense. Five of his teams at TCU finished the season No. 1 in the nation in total defense and he posted a perfect 13-0 season in 2010.

Before TCU, Patterson served as the defensive coordinator at Cal Lutheran in 1987, the defensive coordinator at Sonoma State from 1989-1991, the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at New Mexico from 1996-1997 and the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at TCU from 1998-2000.

After mutually separating from TCU during the 2021 season, Patterson served as a special assistant to the head coach for the Texas Longhorns during the 2022 season. He spent the 2024 season as a consultant at Baylor.

The 65-year-old Patterson would take over for D’Anton Lynn, who was hired away from USC by Penn State in late-December. He’d become the third defensive coordinator to coach under Lincoln Riley at USC. Riley brought Alex Grinch with him from Oklahoma to start the 2022 season. Grinch spent nearly two years with the Trojans before Riley fired Grinch with two games remaining in the 2023 season. Riley then hired Lynn during the offseason, who was coming off his first season as a college defensive coordinator with the UCLA Bruins.

Riley and Patterson coached against each other a number of times when Riley was at Oklahoma and Patterson at TCU, with Riley getting the better of things. Riley went 6-0 against Patterson, winning twice in 2017 (once in the Big 12 Championship Game) and then in each meeting from 2018-2021.

Patterson would oversee a defensive staff that has undergone some recent shakeup, even as head coach Lincoln Riley looked to keep most of his staff in place from last season. Former Nebraska special teams coach Mike Ekeler will join USC’s 2026 coaching staff and coach both special teams and the linebackers. Secondary coach Doug Belk will not return to USC next season and it is expected that Patterson will coach the Trojans’ safeties, a position that is absolutely vital in his defensive scheme.

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Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

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