Gary Patterson reportedly stepping away at Texas after year with Steve Sarkisian
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Gary Patterson is reportedly stepping away from his role with the Texas football program.
The former TCU head coach parted ways with the Horned Frogs after more than 2 decades leading the program and shortly thereafter joined Steve Sarkisian’s staff in Austin as a special assistant to the head coach. With spring football set to begin next week, Patterson told 247Sports’ Chip Brown on Thursday he is leaving the Longhorns.
“I loved my time in Austin. I jumped into that role right after leaving TCU, and I put off a lot of stuff foundation-wise, because I wanted to be a sponge,” Patterson told Horns247 on Thursday. “I wanted to see how the coaches on staff there, who have been at places like Alabama and Washington, recruit; how they handle practice; and how they handle things like NIL.”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll get to August and I’ll want to come back — if Sark would have me. But right now, I feel like I need to take some time for my wife, kids, and grandkids while also looking to see if I can help college football on a larger scale.”
Patterson, 63, took over at TCU in 2001 and oversaw 181 wins and a move from the Mountain West to the Big 12. He went 11-6 in bowl games and holds a career .696 winning percentage.
We’ll see if he re-enters the college football sphere later this offseason.
Sarkisian’s 3rd season with the Longhorn program gets its unofficial start on Monday when UT kicks off spring ball. The annual Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is set to take place on Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m. ET.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
