Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson was hired by USC coach Lincoln Riley to be his new defensive coordinator after the departure of D’Anton Lynn for the Penn State Nittany Lions job. While the Trojans were one of the best offensive teams in the Big Ten and college football, they had mixed performances on the defensive side of the ball.
Patterson retired in 2021 after 21 years at the helm of the Horned Frogs and served as an off-field analyst with the Texas Longhorns in 2022 and a consultant for the Baylor Bears in 2023.
Jayden Maiava Lauds Gary Patterson’s Impact
While speaking to reporters after spring practice on Wednesday, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava revealed how differently the Trojans’ defense is performing under Patterson’s guidance so far.
“It’s a different feel every single day, honestly,” Maiava said. “They’re doing a great job on their side of the ball, giving us great looks. Coach Gary Patterson has the guys dialled in for sure. I’m happy with the direction we’re going on that side of the ball. You know, offensively, we’ve gotta be able to minimize all of the mistakes, make winning plays.”
Under Lynn, the Trojans earned a PFSN College Defense Impact Score of 76.3, good for No. 11 in the Big Ten. On the other hand, USC earned a PFSN College Offense Impact Score of 90.4, just behind the dominant Ohio State (90.9) and eventual national champions the Indiana Hoosiers (93.5).
During an appearance on the “Trojans Live” podcast last week, USC coach Lincoln Riley lavished praise on Patterson’s pedigree and detailed how the new defensive coordinator would elevate the Trojans next season.
“I’ve been able to call plays against a lot of people that most would consider the great defensive minds of this era. Our guy, Coach Patterson, doesn’t take a back seat to anybody,” Riley said. “The challenge that his defenses were, year in and year out, I just never really faced anything much like that, in my opinion.
“He’s going to be a big part of helping us take that next step defensively. The time to be a leader is now. We have what we need to have. We’ve made some really nice improvements here in the last few years, but it’s time to be great, and I think Coach Patterson brings that. He brings that edge and that mentality and that experience that’s tough to find.”
Patterson finished his storied TCU career with a 181-79 record, including 10 bowl wins, two unbeaten regular seasons, and 11 double-digit win seasons. The Horned Frogs finished in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 rankings in six seasons and as high as No. 2 in the 2011 rankings, just behind the national champions, the Auburn Tigers.
