Gary Patterson joining Baylor staff: Ex-TCU coach will work in consultant role for former rival

The TCU legend is set to join one of the program's biggest rivals

By Will Backus Feb 8, 2024 at 11:25 am ET• 1 min read

Former TCU coach Gary Patterson is joining Baylor's staff as a senior consultant, according to 247Sports and multiple reports. Patterson spent some time away from the game in 2023 and most recently served as a special assistant to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian in 2022. 

This latest move serves as a hop over Bluebonnet Battle lines for Patterson, who spent more than two decades with the Horned Frogs, first as an assistant and then as a legendary coach. He joined TCU in 1998 as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach and was promoted in 2001 after coach Dennis Franchione left for Alabama. Patterson held the position until he resigned eight games into the 2021 season. 

Patterson is the winningest coach in TCU history with an overall record of 181-79, including a 113-59 record in conference games. He led the Horned Frogs through three conference changes, a journey that eventually brought them to the Big 12, and won a total of six league titles, including four Mountain West Conference championships from 2005-11. TCU finished in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 six times during Patterson's tenure. TCU won at least 10 games in 11 out of 21 seasons with Patterson at the helm.