Thursday, October 18, 2001

Patterson could be jobless by year’s end
Commentary by Rusty Simmons

When Northwestern State (La.) blocked TCU’s potentially game-tying field goal on Sept. 22, the Frogs lost more than the game. The loss to the Division I-AA school cost TCU any chance at a respectable season, and it may cost first-year head coach Gary Patterson his job.

An unwritten rule in sports administration says first-year coaches can’t be fired, because they haven’t been given a long enough evaluation period. However, Patterson’s midseason report is an emphatic “F”.

Erin Munger/PHOTO EDITOR Head coach Gary Patterson talks to a referee during one of the Frogs’ preseason scrimmages. Patterson could be in hot water after a poor first half by the Frogs.

After losses to both Northwestern State and Tulane, Patterson said the team lacked motivation. While coaches differ on their opinions of what their jobs entail, no serious coach forgets to include the job of motivator. When Patterson says “The team came out flat,” or “They just weren’t motivated,” he is really saying “I didn’t do my job this week.” Coaches who don’t motivate their players don’t keep their jobs.

A coach needs to give a team an identity, and the players need to learn to play under that identity. From the first day of spring drills, Patterson has labeled the team as inexperienced. The team has responded. It makes mistakes instead of making plays. It commits more penalties instead of reducing penalties. It gives the ball away instead of getting the ball back. When a team’s identity is one of failure, the coach fails to remain in charge.

Patterson’s specialty is defense, and his ability to take control of the other aspects of the team is suspect. He was the coordinator for a TCU defense that was ranked No. 1 in the nation last season, and most of the Frogs’ problems have been on offense this year. That doesn’t give Patterson a scapegoat for the team’s turmoil. He hired offensive coordinator Mike Schultz. Now Schultz’s decisions are Patterson’s responsibilities. If Patterson wants to take some chances down the field, improve the offensive line or get play-making wide receiver LaTarence Dunbar more touches, then a mandate must be issued. A coach who can’t take control of a team doesn’t get to keep being in charge of a team.

The defense has suffered as well as the offense. Some of the defense’s major problems may be related to a number of injuries. However, developing a consistent pass rush doesn’t demand a hoard of talented players. It takes a handful of players who won’t stop until they get to the quarterback. If the team could get pressure on the quarterback, the defensive backs wouldn’t be asked to cover receivers for 10 seconds a play. If a coach, who has been deemed a defensive specialist, can field a team that gives up close to 450 yards to a Division I-AA school, then he doesn’t deserve to coach a Division I-A school.

An increasingly important job for a college football coach is as a publicist. Although Patterson is as nice and as honest as they come, teams that lose don’t have fans.

When there aren’t fans in the stands, the school doesn’t get its planned revenue. If TCU’s expected revenue from the home football games drops, it has to cut its budget. For a team that doesn’t win, the easiest budget cut may be the head coach’s salary.

At the midseason break, TCU’s best players have been on special teams. Punter Joey Biasatti has punted 11 of 35 balls inside the 20-yard line, averaging 43.5 yards a punt, and kicker Nick Browne has made 8 of 10 kicks, including two attempts from beyond 40 yards. However, Browne’s kick against Northwestern State couldn’t even save Patterson from the firing that has become entrenched in his fate.

Rusty Simmons is a senior news-editorial journalism major from Woodbridge, Va. He can be reached at (j.r.simmons@student.tcu.edu).