Sitting at 5-6 and fighting just to be bowl eligible is relatively unfamiliar territory for TCU's Gary Patterson, but that's where the Horned Frogs find themselves heading into a season finale match up with Oklahoma State.
A season of struggles has led to some rumors on the recruiting trail that high school coaches were hearing from rival recruiters about a pending retirement. Not surprisingly, those whispers eventually made it back to Patterson who addressed them, first with a tweet, and then at his presser today.
Patterson added at his presser, "I want to coach as long as I enjoy the game."
"Hopefully Saturday I look like I still enjoy the game. If I ever think I get to the point where I hurt the program, they won’t have to tell me," Patterson shared, according to Sports Day.
Patterson took over at TCU heading into the 2001 season following a one game stint as the interim head coach in the Mobile Alabama Bowl, and he's compiled an impressive 165-63 mark over that time period. Patterson has failed to get bowl eligible just twice since taking over the program, a 5-6 season in 2004 and a 4-8 mark in 2013. Patterson has been there to lead the program's transition from Conference USA to the Mountain West, to the Big 12. In 2014 Patterson led TCU to a 12-1 season where they controversially missed the College Football Playoff.
At 58 years old, Patterson clearly believes he's got a number of good years left in him and is still having fun, despite a trying 2018.
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