Look: Texas athletic director spotted with special guest

Texas athletic director Chris del Conte was spotted sitting next to former TCU football coach Gary Patterson during Tuesday night’s basketball game against Kansas State. The former rival coach has been rumored to have interest in a position within the Longhorns athletic program.

TCU let go of Patterson midway through the 2021 season, finishing 3-5 and 1-4 in the Big 12. The surprise move ended his 22-year stint which spanned four conference affiliations and ranked his among the longest-tenured head coaches in college football.

At 61-years old, multiple reports indicated early on that Gary Patterson is not ready to retire and walk away from the sport completely, leading to multiple links with the state’s biggest program and athletic director Chris del Conte.

Gary P x CDC spotting in the Erwin.👀 pic.twitter.com/RvjSZeoRX1

— TBC (@TexasMBBcountry) January 19, 2022

A sighting on campus with the athletic director, whether an innocent day trip or not, will only further light the fire behind the rumors that he plans to work for another Texas school within months of his last position.

Texas posts job opening

The University of Texas publicly posted a unique job opening on Sunday. The Texas Longhorns are looking for a full-time Special Assistant to the Head Coach willing to work 40 hours per week within the football program.

While the position is open to the public, and any coach or fan who meets the required qualifications can apply here, chances are the school has someone in mind. On3’s Inside Texas has heard “rumblings” that former TCU head coach Gary Patterson could join Steve Sarkisian’s staff in some role for the 2022 season, and this opening seems to check a lot of boxes.

Included in the job posting are several responsibilities which the eventual hire will fulfill. In addition to assisting the head coach on special projects, the applicants can expect to assist in practice and game preparation, perform self-scouring and travel with coaching staff.

The requirements and qualifications also tip the Texas Longhorns hand that the candidate pool for the Special Assistant to the Head Coach job might not be as open as a public webpage suggests. The position requires “experience with football as a former player, on field coach, or support staff member at an elite level” and “relevant experience as a student-athlete or as a staff member with Division I collegiate athletics football program.”

The preferred qualifications take things one step further, calling for, “experience as an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator in a Division I Collegiate or NFL football program.”