The coach's corner
Our Brent Yarina caught up with head coach Gary Patterson before the start of the 2003 season.

Skiff: Are you happy with where the team stands right now?

GP: Well, I don’t know. You never know until you play your first ball game. I think we are to a point where we have to polish some things up and get ready to play. You really don’t know anything about your team until you’ve played one.

Skiff: What’s the strongest part of this team?

GP: Probably on offense it’s our running back and probably on defense it’s our defensive line.

Skiff: How does this team compare to last year’s team?

GP: It’s hard to compare right now. We didn’t know we were gonna be a 10-2 football team last year. I think it just depends on how hungry they want to be. We’ve got the talent to be a good football team, but we have some growing up to do. And hopefully we’ll have already started growing up before that first football game.

Skiff: How excited are you to see what Tye (Gunn) can do this season with a talented offense and one year of experience?

GP: Well, I’m excited to see how he does. He hasn’t played but four games, and he’s been out almost a year. I’m excited to have the opportunity to have him back.

Skiff: What do you envision being the hardest thing about repeating as Conference USA champs this year?

GP: You got to work harder to repeat as champs. You’ve got a bull’s eye on you. I think the other thing that you have is that it’s a much better league this year. I think there are eight teams that could win a lot of ballgames.

Skiff: You played college football at Kansas State. How did that prepare you to get you where you are today?

GP: The reason why I became a coach is because coach Jim Dickey and Gary Darnell, who was the head coach at Western Michigan, gave me an opportunity. I went to Tennessee Tech where we didn’t win very many ball games, and I was a real, real young coach. I probably learned more in those three years than I have in the other 20 years. That’s just the way it is though, you learn more from losing.

Skiff: Would the chance to coach at your alma mater be your ultimate football dream?

GP: You know, I’ve never ever looked at that. But I mean, obviously, if I would ever leave TCU, which I don’t think I’ll ever do unless they don’t want me anymore. I think the biggest thing is to be in the right situation. Right now, I’m in a great situation so right now I don’t really look into those things. I’m not one of those guys that has to get to a certain point or a certain school to be happy. I just try to make the place I’m at the best place it can be and move forward from there.

Skiff: Who is the best player you have ever worked with since you started coaching?

GP: The best player I have ever coached would probably have to come down between LT and Aaron Schobel.

Skiff: Are we ever going to get the chance to play Coach Fran in the future?

GP: Oh, I doubt it. I don’t talk to him about that. I think the biggest key is probably that A&M won’t play us unless they know they can beat us. They can probably beat us now, but you don’t know. You’ve got to play the ballgame. It’s kind of disappointing that they have SMU and North Texas in the future but wouldn’t want to play us.

Skiff: Where do you see this team at the end of the season?

GP: I don’t have any idea. We take it one game at a time and hope for the best.

Skiff: Jon Gruden has publicly announced that he will streak if his Buccaneers can defend their Super Bowl Championship. What will you be willing to do if we can win another conference championship?

GP: Yeah, I’d probably take a vacation. I haven’t done that in a long time.