Volosaurus rex
Doctorate in Volology
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I am sure that moderators will probably bump this thread to the forum pertaining exclusively to coaching rumors and speculation, but I wanted to share some data on Gary Patterson's viability as a candidate for head coach:
Age: 52 (so he is certainly young enough to take on the continued rebuilding process at UT if he was sufficiently interested).
Background and connections to Tennessee: Kansas State grad (1983), so one might always wonder how interested he would be in succeeding the 73-year-old Bill Snyder when he decides to retire again. However, Patterson "took the linebacker coaching position at Tennessee Tech (1983-1984) while earning a master's degree in educational administration in 1984" (Gary Patterson Profile - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site ). So, his connections to Tennessee aren't much more tenuous than Jon Gruden's.
Record and defensive exploits at TCU: "Patterson's .784 winning percentage (109-30) is fourth among active coaches nationally with a minimum of five years experience. He is also one of just eight active coaches to have won at least 100 games at their current school."
"In 2011, TCU recorded its fourth straight 11-win season and became the only program nationally to reach 11 victories in six of the last seven years. . . . In 2010, Patterson guided the Horned Frogs to an undefeated season and Rose Bowl championship. TCU finished second in the final polls with a 13-0 record, its first perfect campaign since winning the national championship in 1938."
"Since the NCAA began tracking statistics in 1937, no other school has finished first in total defense as many times (five) as TCU. All five of those No. 1 rankings (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010) have come in the last 12 seasons under Patterson."
"Despite losing seven starters to graduation, including three to the NFL, off 2008's No. 1 defense, the Frogs led the nation in 2009 by allowing just 239.7 yards per game. TCU and Florida were the only schools in 2009 to rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense and defense. The Frogs were seventh offensively at 456.7 yards per game."
"TCU led the nation in total defense (217.8 yards per game) in 2008 for the third time in nine seasons. No other school in the country has finished first in that category as many times as TCU in that span. The Frogs were also first in run defense (47.1 yards), fewest first downs allowed per game (12.1) and time of possession (35:10). TCU was second in scoring defense (11.3 points per game)."
Perhaps the most impressive indicator of a man who could make major improvements on the defensive side of the ball in year number one: "In 1998, Patterson's first season at TCU, the Horned Frogs scored a school-record six defensive touchdowns, intercepted 12 passes and allowed only 19.6 points per game - the fewest points per game in over 30 years. It was accomplished by a team that was 1-10 the previous season.
Patterson's 1999 TCU defense ended the season ranked fifth in the country in total defense. The Frogs posted two shutouts and led the Western Athletic Conference in every major defensive category" (All data in this section are excerpted from Gary Patterson Profile - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site ). Bottom line here: Given our abyssmal performance on defense this year, Patterson is a man whose track record indicates that he could make Neyland proud of our defense again.
Current salary: "TCU's Gary Patterson has a new contract that will make him the Horned Frogs' coach through the 2018 season, the school announced. A source said that Patterson's total package pays him close to $3 million per season and that the entire deal is guaranteed" (excerpted from ESPN article dated 1/8/2011: TCU Horned Frogs give head coach Gary Patterson contract extension through 2018 - ESPN Dallas ).
It should go without saying that this is a more competitive salary range, from our perspective, than what Gruden would command.
The following observations were made in a Bleacher Report article, dated 11/9/12 (Gary Patterson to Arkansas: Should TCU Coach Leave Big 12 for SEC? | Bleacher Report ), which assesses Patterson's viability as a candidate for the Arkansas position:
"To takeover Arkansas that is currently going through rough times would not be a wise move. With the Razorbacks having their worst season in the programs history, a complete overhaul of the coaching staff is likely to take place. Also, if he didn't leave for Arkansas during the offseason when it had a talented team that was predicted to compete for an SEC Championship, there is little doubt he would leave now. Arkansas isn't exactly a recruiting hot bed to get some of the more talented athletes to come and play for you. It is also in the SEC West, which happens to be arguably the toughest division in all of college football, and it would take some time for Patterson to get this program back on its feet.
He has been able to get TCU into a power conference in the Big 12, which should prevent the school from becoming a launching pad for up and coming coaches. He has a chance to truly compete for national championships at this point. . . . It just wouldn't make sense for him to leave at this moment and to head to a school that has so many question marks. Having to compete against teams such as Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and even Auburn doesn't sound too appealing either."
Obviously, many of these points apply to Tennessee as well. However, Patterson's accomplishments were on a much smaller stage. Should he hang around the Big 12 too long and the lustre of his star should begin to seriously decline, he would not be in as good a bargaining position as he is right now, should he ever have aspirations of matching wits with coaches in the top football conference in the country.
I know that this thread is extremely long but I will be interested to hear your response.
Age: 52 (so he is certainly young enough to take on the continued rebuilding process at UT if he was sufficiently interested).
Background and connections to Tennessee: Kansas State grad (1983), so one might always wonder how interested he would be in succeeding the 73-year-old Bill Snyder when he decides to retire again. However, Patterson "took the linebacker coaching position at Tennessee Tech (1983-1984) while earning a master's degree in educational administration in 1984" (Gary Patterson Profile - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site ). So, his connections to Tennessee aren't much more tenuous than Jon Gruden's.
Record and defensive exploits at TCU: "Patterson's .784 winning percentage (109-30) is fourth among active coaches nationally with a minimum of five years experience. He is also one of just eight active coaches to have won at least 100 games at their current school."
"In 2011, TCU recorded its fourth straight 11-win season and became the only program nationally to reach 11 victories in six of the last seven years. . . . In 2010, Patterson guided the Horned Frogs to an undefeated season and Rose Bowl championship. TCU finished second in the final polls with a 13-0 record, its first perfect campaign since winning the national championship in 1938."
"Since the NCAA began tracking statistics in 1937, no other school has finished first in total defense as many times (five) as TCU. All five of those No. 1 rankings (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010) have come in the last 12 seasons under Patterson."
"Despite losing seven starters to graduation, including three to the NFL, off 2008's No. 1 defense, the Frogs led the nation in 2009 by allowing just 239.7 yards per game. TCU and Florida were the only schools in 2009 to rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense and defense. The Frogs were seventh offensively at 456.7 yards per game."
"TCU led the nation in total defense (217.8 yards per game) in 2008 for the third time in nine seasons. No other school in the country has finished first in that category as many times as TCU in that span. The Frogs were also first in run defense (47.1 yards), fewest first downs allowed per game (12.1) and time of possession (35:10). TCU was second in scoring defense (11.3 points per game)."
Perhaps the most impressive indicator of a man who could make major improvements on the defensive side of the ball in year number one: "In 1998, Patterson's first season at TCU, the Horned Frogs scored a school-record six defensive touchdowns, intercepted 12 passes and allowed only 19.6 points per game - the fewest points per game in over 30 years. It was accomplished by a team that was 1-10 the previous season.
Patterson's 1999 TCU defense ended the season ranked fifth in the country in total defense. The Frogs posted two shutouts and led the Western Athletic Conference in every major defensive category" (All data in this section are excerpted from Gary Patterson Profile - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site ). Bottom line here: Given our abyssmal performance on defense this year, Patterson is a man whose track record indicates that he could make Neyland proud of our defense again.
Current salary: "TCU's Gary Patterson has a new contract that will make him the Horned Frogs' coach through the 2018 season, the school announced. A source said that Patterson's total package pays him close to $3 million per season and that the entire deal is guaranteed" (excerpted from ESPN article dated 1/8/2011: TCU Horned Frogs give head coach Gary Patterson contract extension through 2018 - ESPN Dallas ).
It should go without saying that this is a more competitive salary range, from our perspective, than what Gruden would command.
The following observations were made in a Bleacher Report article, dated 11/9/12 (Gary Patterson to Arkansas: Should TCU Coach Leave Big 12 for SEC? | Bleacher Report ), which assesses Patterson's viability as a candidate for the Arkansas position:
"To takeover Arkansas that is currently going through rough times would not be a wise move. With the Razorbacks having their worst season in the programs history, a complete overhaul of the coaching staff is likely to take place. Also, if he didn't leave for Arkansas during the offseason when it had a talented team that was predicted to compete for an SEC Championship, there is little doubt he would leave now. Arkansas isn't exactly a recruiting hot bed to get some of the more talented athletes to come and play for you. It is also in the SEC West, which happens to be arguably the toughest division in all of college football, and it would take some time for Patterson to get this program back on its feet.
He has been able to get TCU into a power conference in the Big 12, which should prevent the school from becoming a launching pad for up and coming coaches. He has a chance to truly compete for national championships at this point. . . . It just wouldn't make sense for him to leave at this moment and to head to a school that has so many question marks. Having to compete against teams such as Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and even Auburn doesn't sound too appealing either."
Obviously, many of these points apply to Tennessee as well. However, Patterson's accomplishments were on a much smaller stage. Should he hang around the Big 12 too long and the lustre of his star should begin to seriously decline, he would not be in as good a bargaining position as he is right now, should he ever have aspirations of matching wits with coaches in the top football conference in the country.
I know that this thread is extremely long but I will be interested to hear your response.
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