The former TCU Football head coach will be “The Special Assistant to the Head Coach” on Steve Sarkisian’s staff.
It’s official.
After speculation began swirling in December, the courtship of Gary Patterson by Texas Football is complete.
According to multiple reports — and an official listing in the UT staff directory, Patterson has indeed been hired by the Longhorns, reuniting with Chris Del Conte in Austin as a member of second year coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff.
Patterson was confirmed to have visited the Texas Football facilities earlier this month, and days later, a job was posted on the UT website for a Special Assistant to the Head Coach. As a public university, the job had to be posted and open to the public before an offer could be extended to the likely only serious candidate.
Apparently, interviews went well.
Gary P x CDC spotting in the Erwin. pic.twitter.com/RvjSZeoRX1
— TBC (@TexasMBBcountry) January 19, 2022
Patterson’s presence at the Texas – Kansas State basketball game followed a Horns 247 report that the former Frog had been working with the Longhorn Football program during winter conditioning.
“Former TCU coach Gary Patterson is already working at Texas in his new role as special assistant to coach Steve Sarkisian.
According to a UT source, Patterson was getting his ID and key card on Tuesday to begin working at UT, a school he had a 7-3 career record against while the head coach at TCU.”
It’s been an interesting few months for Patterson, who of course has a statue in front of Amon G Carter Stadium, a facility that could well bear his name someday. After a quarter century in Fort Worth, seeing him in Burnt Orange will be an uncomfortable sight for Frog fans; after years of dominating the Longhorns, seeing him help UT against the Frogs will be hard to watch, to say the least. But Patterson, who chose to leave TCU in October after reportedly being asked to stay for the remainder of the 2021 season and take an advisory role after, wanted to coach again. And Texas presented an in-state opportunity with a system and staff he was familiar with.
It might kind of suck for TCU fans, but it makes a ton of sense for Patterson and Steve Sarkisian.
Reactions to the news was mixed; while most TCU fans are happy GP will stay in coaching, few are excited that he will be doing so with an in-conference rival.
9/28: Patterson accuses SMU of throwing helmet at Kill
10/2: TCU loses to UT
10/18: GP rips Matt Jennings for article, defends his DMs to students
10/?: GP tells team he’s “untouchable”
10/31: GP fired by TCU
1/18: GP seemingly part of UT staff
What an unreal 4 months…
— Colin Post (@colinp_3) January 19, 2022
TCU gotta get to work in the Gary Patterson statue… https://t.co/NCslduVofT pic.twitter.com/0GwliMbQse
— Greg Tepper (@Tepper) January 19, 2022
Gary Patterson leaving a place that has a statue of him on campus in the middle of the season and then starting the next season as the DC at a conference rival is nasty business
— Evan (@EvanHebert) January 19, 2022
The most interesting development is absolutely how quickly Texas fans — who have taken every opportunity to mock Patterson over the years before begrudgingly showing him respect after years of getting their rear ends handed to them by him — jumped on board with his Judas turn.
Everything about Gary Patterson in Texas apparel feels wrong but I don’t hate it lol https://t.co/Rms0oDOzj7
— Clinton huffty (@ClintonHuffty34) January 19, 2022
Texas is adding Gary Patterson to the Staff this week..
WOW!! This is huge to have him on the staff. Coach P.K & Gary P on the same staff?? You cant tell me Steve Sarkisian isnt serious about winning.
— BrysonBuddhaBelly (@BJFK94) January 13, 2022
Texas is about to get a bunch of help..
Ochaun Mathis?
Jahleel Billingsley?
King Mwikutaand then we took TCU’s darling Gary Patterson @CoachSark is going to work even after a 5-7 season#Allgasnobrakes
— 41Forever (@TheUncleGhandi) January 12, 2022
TCU and Texas will face off on November 12th in Austin.