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New TCU coach will recruit well thanks to base built by Gary Patterson

Jeremy Crabtreeby:Jeremy Crabtree•10/31/21•

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Gary Paterson is out as the head coach at TCU. Whoever lands the gig in Fort Worth will have a tremendous recruiting foundation to work with thanks to Gary Patterson.

TCU and Gary Patterson have parted ways, effective immediately. The move comes after the Horned Frogs started off the season 3-5 overall, including a 1-4 record in the Big 12.

Patterson is one of college football’s longest-tenured head coaches, ranking No. 2 behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. The 61-year-old Patterson joined the program as a defensive coordinator in 1998 and took over head coaching duties in 2000. Patterson accumulated a 181-79 record over 21 seasons with TCU.

Patterson built the TCU program through recruiting wins throughout the Lone Star State and in the Horned Frogs’ backyard area of Dallas and Fort Worth. Plus, Patterson was one of the best evaluators in the game.

“Coach Patterson always, always found guys that were two-stars or even unranked and turned them into all-conference players,” a Big 12 assistant said Sunday after hearing news of Patterson’s departure. “I know as a staff, we would always do a double-take when TCU offered a kid. They were just that good at finding players and then developing them.”

The success on the trail also translated to this recruiting cycle, despite the struggles on the field. According to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking, TCU has the nation’s No. 33 recruiting class. The class also ranks as the fifth-best in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

TCU has foundation for recruiting success

Even in a world where Texas and Oklahoma have bolted to the SEC and have the marquee league to sell to prospects (along with Texas A&M), TCU is one of the top recruiting jobs in the region.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is one of the most fertile recruiting territories in the country. It rivals Miami, Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles for the amount of blue-chip talent it produces.

It also produces quantity, especially at quarterback, offensive line and skill position offensive players.

Then when you consider the way that Gary Patterson has spread the TCU brand throughout all corners of the Lone Star State – including in talent-rich East Texas where he made a living over the years – familiarity with the Horned Frog name will last for years. That’s true no matter who is in charge, thanks to Patterson’s efforts.

Plus, TCU has recently reached out into other surrounding states like Oklahoma and Louisiana with plenty of success. That should remain a happy hunting ground for the new staff.

In the end, whoever the new head coach is, he should be able to recruit successfully largely because of the foundation that was built by Gary Patterson.

The Athletic’s Sam Khan said TCU “might be the most attractive job in the new Big 12.” And he’s right, largely because of the job Patterson did.

New TCU coach has good class to work with

The headliner in the TCU class is Jaylon Guilbeau, who is the No. 148 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. On3 ranks Guilbeau from Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial as the No. 200 player overall and the 19th-ranked cornerback and the 36th overall best player in Texas.

Another headliner in the TCU class is Houston Klein Cain four-star receiver Matthew Golden, who ranks as the N0. 232 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus. On3 ranks Golden, who picked TCU over a long list of national programs, as the No. 71 player in the country and the eighth-best receiver.

Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Summit defensive lineman Joseph Adedire is another On3 Consensus four-star player committed to TCU.

Plus, Major Everhart, a On3 Consensus three-star out of Amarillo (Texas) Tascosa is one of the fastest players in the country. A rival Big 12 coach said Everhart is the “most under-ranked player in Texas.”

All in all, even though TCU has only 11 commitments, there’s a great footing for the new coach to work with. Rival recruiters will likely try to poach some of TCU’s committed players. But with a strong recruiting brand, the ability to do well in a new Big 12 that doesn’t have OU or UT, upgraded facilities and donors that want to win, there’s no reason to think that TCU will lose too much from its top 35 recruiting class.

Plus, it’s easy to think that future success will come when the new head coach is installed.