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Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson is reportedly being targeted by the USC Trojans to become their next defensive coordinator and expected to be hired soon, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel on Wednesday (January 21).
"Sources: USC is targeting former TCU coach Gary Patterson as the school’s next defensive coordinator. A deal is expected to come together in the near future," Thamel wrote on his X account.
Patterson, 65, who is set to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year, was initially hired by TCU as a defensive coordinator/safeties coach in 1998 and served as head coach from 2000 to 2021. The Kansas native is the winningest coach in program history with a 181-79 overall record (.696% winning percentage) and an 11-6 bowl record, which included a six total conference championships (2002 Conference USA, 2005, 2009-2011 Mountain West and 2014 Big 12).
Patterson has since worked as the special assistant to the head coach at the University of Texas in 2022 and as a consultant at Baylor in 2024. The 65-year-old won numerous national coaching awards including two Associated Press Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards in 2009 and 2014.