Gary Patterson is the all-time winningest coach at TCU. He has a statue on campus. He led the program through four conferences in 22 seasons with the Horned Frogs.
Now he'll be on the other sideline when No. 4 TCU takes on No. 18 Texas on Saturday. Patterson is on the Longhorns' staff as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian. Patterson will be on the sideline for Saturday's game, too.
Will this be a "revenge game" for the former Horned Frogs coach?
"Gary works 24/7 to beat anybody," Sarkisian said via 247Sports.com. "He's got an unbelievable work ethic about him. This week hasn't been any different."
It's still going to evoke feelings for both sides – especially TCU fans – given Patterson's history with the program.
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A look at Patterson's history with TCU, how he ended up in Texas and how those paths will cross on Saturday.
Gary Patterson's TCU record
Patterson arrived at TCU in 1998 and served as the defensive coordinator under Dennis Franchione until 2000, when he took over as interim coach.
Patterson stuck as the head coach – and he compiled a 181-79 record with the Horned Frogs. TCU moved from the WAC to Conference-USA in Patterson's first full season in 2001, and he guided the incremental rise of the program from BCS buster in the Mountain West Conference to full-time Big 12 member.
In that rise, TCU won the Conference-USA championship (2002), four Mountain West championships (2005, 2009-11) and the Big 12 championship (2014). Not many coaches can claim that at one school.
Gary Patterson's best seasons
Patterson led the Horned Frogs to six top-10 finishes from 2008-17, and three seasons stick out more than the rest.
2009
The Horned Frogs finished 12-0 and won the Mountain West Conference championship, and that regular season included non-conference victories at Virginia and Clemson.
This was during the BCS, and the Horned Frogs No. 4 in the final BCS standings. TCU faced fellow unbeaten BCS buster Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and the Broncos won 17-10.
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2010
The Horned Frogs – led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton – were even better the following season. They finished 12-0 again with victories against No. 24 Oregon State and No. 6 Utah. TCU was one of three unbeaten teams in the final BCS standings and finished No. 3 behind No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Oregon.
The Horned Frogs had to settle for the Rose Bowl, where they beat No. 4 Wisconsin 21-19 to cap off a perfect 13-0 season.
2014
TCU's third season in the Big 12 was the first year of the College Football Playoff, and the Horned Frogs finished 11-1 in the regular season. The only loss was a 61-58 loss to No. 5 Baylor on Oct. 11.
The Horned Frogs were No. 3 entering the final weekend of the season, but they slipped to No. 6 in the final rankings despite a 55-3 victory against Iowa State. Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor all jumped the Frogs in the final week. Eventual national champion Ohio State went to the CFP instead.
TCU closed its 12-1 season with a 42-3 victory against No. 3 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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Why was Gary Patterson fired?
Patterson resigned at TCU on Oct. 31, 2021. According to the ESPN.com report, "school officials asked Patterson to finish the season, but he declined."
TCU finished 11-3 in 2017, but then slipped in the Big 12 pecking order. The Horned Frogs were 21-22 starting with the 2018 season, and were in a three-game losing streak when Patterson resigned.
"The story of Gary Patterson and the rise in the fortunes of the TCU football program over the last 20 years is clearly one of the most remarkable in the history of college football. We are grateful to Gary and Kelsey Patterson and appreciate everything they have meant to TCU and the Fort Worth community," TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement.
Gary Patterson's role at Texas
Patterson joined Sarkisian's staff at Texas on Jan. 22, 2022. According to CBSSports.com: "The role is described as an assistant head coach with special projects and features a special focus on scouting and scheme evaluation.
Texas allowed 31.1 points per game in 2021, which ranked 99th in the FBS. They have improved to 37th at 21.8 ppg.
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Gary Patterson and Sonny Dykes
Donati hired Dykes away from TCU rival SMU in the offseason. Patterson and Dykes split four head-to-head meetings at the schools from 2017-21 in "The Battle of the Iron Skillet."
TCU is 9-0, ranked No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Quarterback Max Duggan has emerged as a Heisman Trophy sleeper on an offense that ranks fourth in the FBS at 43.1 ppg.
"I don't know what Gary's role is there," Dykes said at his press conference Tuesday. "It's hard for me to evaluate that. Gary is a very good coach. I know he obviously knows our players. I don't have any idea how that is going to affect the game."
