TCU
The news came as a shock, to say the least.
While many Fort Worthians and their families were spending Sunday evening spooking themselves out for Halloween, TCU fans got quite the startle for another reason — head football coach Gary Patterson, after spending more than two decades with the university and becoming the winningest coach in program history, had parted ways with TCU.
According to a written statement, athletic director Jeremiah Donati and chancellor Victor Boschini met with Patterson on Sunday and "mutually agreed that the time has come for a new voice and leadership in our football program," suggesting that Patterson remain as head coach through the remainder of the season and take on a different role in 2022. However, Patterson opted to leave the program immediately, with Jerry Kill stepping in as interim head coach.
"The story of Gary Patterson and the rise in the fortunes of the TCU football program over the last 20 years is clearly one of the most remarkable in the history of college football," Donati said in a statement. "We are grateful to Gary and Kelsey Patterson and appreciate everything they have meant to TCU and the Fort Worth community. Under his leadership, TCU has become a nationally recognized brand name in football and in collegiate athletics."
Patterson's departure was perhaps foreshadowed by what has been a rough season for the Horned Frogs, with a 3-5 record and Saturday's 12-31 finish against Kansas State marking the team's third loss in a row. But the struggles of the year don't negate the Frogs' trip to the Rose Bowl in 2011, transition into the Big 12 and conference championship in 2014, winning the Peach Bowl that same year, and a 181-79 all-time record under Patterson's direction.
