Southern California has tabbed a Hall of Famer to run its defense by announcing Friday that former TCU coach Gary Patterson is the school’s new defensive coordinator.
Earlier this month, Patterson was announced as part of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class. That honor comes after he went 181-79 in 21 seasons (2001-21) with the Horned Frogs, including a 13-0 campaign and No. 2 finish to the 2010 season when Andy Dalton was the school’s quarterback.
“As a Hall of Fame coach who is one of the game’s most highly regarded defensive minds, he brings a wealth of success and experience to our program,” USC football coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement. “His impact will be immediate, elevating our defense and strengthening the culture we’ve built.”
Patterson, who turns 66 next month, replaces D’Anton Lynn, who left after two seasons for a similar role at Penn State.
Patterson was defensive coordinator at TCU from 1998-2000 before becoming head coach. The Horned Frogs led the nation in total defensive five times while he was on campus, including three straight seasons from 2008-10.
Patterson was the national Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2014. He won 10 or more games 11 times.
Following an 11-3 season in 2017, Patterson went just 21-22 over the next 3 1/2 seasons and he and TCU agreed to part ways when the team was 3-5 in 2021.
Patterson’s last on-field position was as an on-field analyst at Texas in 2022. He was hired as a consultant at Baylor in 2024 before resigning prior to the season.
Riley is 35-18 in four seasons at USC but has been unable to field a national championship-caliber squad despite having 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, for two of those seasons.
