TCU vs. Georgia: ‘Bittersweet’ Championship for Longhorns Coach Gary Patterson

Longhorns coach Patterson for almost a quarter-century pretty much was TCU football … and he’ll be watching the matchup with Georgia from an unusual perch.

As the special assistant to Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, Gary Patterson feels the same way about TCU vs. Georgia in the National Championship game on Monday night as other Texas fans might.

A bit “conflicted.”

A bit “bittersweet.”

Patterson, for almost a quarter-century pretty much was TCU football … and he’ll be in attendance at SoFi Stadium to cheer on the Horned Frogs on Monday night. 

“You put 24 years of your life into a place, you wouldn’t want something like that to fail,” said Patterson. “If you’re sitting in my shoes, yes, it is probably bittersweet. But at the end of the day, it’s good to see them get where they need to.”

Patterson built the program from punchline to prominence, with 10 seasons of 11+ wins, six Top-10 rankings, and six conference championships, including a Big 12 title in 2014. 

He remains the school’s winningest coach with 181 victories.

There’s even a statue of him on campus. 

And despite all that, he was forced out late in 2021 after a 3-5 start to the season, and ultimately replaced by Sonny Dykes. 

Now the 12-point-underdog Horned Frogs – with players mostly recruited by Patterson – have what Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called a "magical'' shot at a title.

“I’m still a Longhorn," Patterson told Chip Brown on Sunday. "But I have a bond with a lot of these guys."

Longhorns fans surely get this. 

Mack Brown would have likely done the same, even after leaving for North Carolina, if presented with a simpler opportunity with the Longhorns. 

Any long-tenured coach with real bonds to his players would.

Now Patterson gets the opportunity to watch those players that he recruited to fight for something he had hoped to bring them himself - A national championship.

Georgia and TCU will kick off on Monday night at 6:30 pm central time in Los Angeles at SoFi stadium, where Patterson will be in attendance wearing purple one last time. 

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