Jan 14, 2022 - Sports

University of Texas football poised to hire former rival coach

Asher Price

Head coaches Steve Sarkisian and Gary Patterson shake hands after a game in 2021 — Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian meets TCU head coach Gary Patterson following Texas' 32-27 win over TCU in Fort Worth in October. Photo: AP Photo/Ron Jenkins

The University of Texas Longhorns are poised to hire a long-time coaching rival to their football staff.

Driving the news: UT late last week posted a job for "special assistant to the head coach."

Spotted this past weekend in Austin was Gary Patterson, long-time coach of the TCU Horned Frogs.
UT athletic director Chris Del Conte is close to Patterson, having held the same title previously at TCU.

By the numbers: The defensive-minded Patterson assembled a 181-78 record before being forced out of TCU midway through last season.

He's also 7-4 against the Longhorns and won six of the last eight matchups, giving the Longhorns all kinds of fits.

Yes, but: The Longhorns already have a defensive coordinator. Pete Kwiatkowski has two years and $1.7 million left on a three-year deal that he signed last spring.

But, but, but: What defense? The Horns gave up scores left and right in the second half of big games this season.

The bottom line: Patterson will lend some big-picture vision and recruitment skills to a Longhorns squad already bursting with talent, but fitting the long-time head coach into the staff hierarchy will be tricky.

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University of Texas football poised to hire former rival coach

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