USC football coach Lincoln Riley said he was “sick” five years ago when Gary Patterson was fired.
Now Riley appears set to hire him.
Adding the future College Football Hall of Famer would add some major cachet to a coaching staff in transition as the Trojans closed in on making Patterson their defensive coordinator Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Patterson, who will turn 66 next month, guided TCU to an undefeated season in 2010 and a 181-79 record in 22 seasons as the winningest head coach in school history. He was known for strong defenses featuring a 4-2-5 scheme that is famous for keeping offenses guessing as to what it will do after the snap.
After he was fired in 2021, Patterson worked as a special assistant to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and was a consultant at Baylor. He’s part of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame induction class.
Patterson will become USC’s third defensive coordinator in four seasons, following D’Anton Lynn and Alex Grinch. Lynn departed after last season to take the same job at Penn State, his alma mater.
Defense has been an ongoing issue for Riley’s Trojans. While they made some progress under Lynn, the Trojans gave up an average of 23 points per game last season, ranking No. 51 in the nation. They were slightly better in total yardage, giving up an average of 351 to rank No. 42.
