Gary Patterson recruited most of the players on the TCU squad that will play Georgia for the College Football Playoff national championship Monday. But the former Horned Frogs coach worked at rival Texas this season, serving as a special assistant to Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian.
That would put just about anyone in an unusual emotional situation days before the big game, and Patterson is no exception. After all, he’s the winningest coach in TCU history with 181 victories, and there is a statue of him on the Fort Worth campus.
Despite leaving the Horned Frogs under unpleasant circumstances during the 2021 season, he’s happy for the program’s success.
“You put 24 years of your life into a place, you wouldn’t want something like that to fail,” Patterson told Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger. “If you’re sitting in my shoes, yes, it is probably bittersweet. But at the end of the day, it’s good to see them get where they need to.”
Patterson was pushed out at TCU on Oct. 31, 2021, and he ruffled some feathers around the program when he decided to step aside rather than finish out the season. That said, Patterson disputes rumors that he went to Texas out of animosity toward TCU. Instead, he says it strictly was a business decision.
“If you went through a divorce, would you want to live in the same town as your ex? I needed some space,” Patterson told Dellenger. “A lot of people thought I went to Texas out of spite. No, I went to learn.”
Patterson and his wife, Kelsey, maintain a primary residence in Fort Worth, and they operate the Gary Patterson Foundation to benefit children in and around the city.
“Our legacy here is much more than wins and losses,” Patterson told Dellenger.
TCU (13–1) faces Georgia (14–0) on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Inglewood, Calif.
