Patterson: Tennessee, Nebraska didn’t think I could handle big stage

TCU coach Gary Patterson believes Tennessee and Nebraska declined to offer him head coaching jobs because they didn’t think he could handle “the big stage.”

“My wife and I went to dinner with them, and I could tell [Tennessee] had already decided on [Lane] Kiffin,” Patterson told ESPN. “It was the same with Nebraska. I interviewed and could tell they had already decided on [Bo] Pelini. I think a lot of these ADs now are more interested in hiring guys who’re going to win the podium than they are in hiring football coaches, and there’s a lot more to it than that if you’re going to win championships.”

Patterson interviewed for the jobs in 2008 and 2009, the year before the Horned Frogs went 13-0 and won the Rose Bowl.

Patterson, as he always has, refused to say he’ll never leave TCU. But, at 57, he’s getting closer and closer to nipping all of this yearly ritual in the bud.

“It would have to be something you just couldn’t say no to, but here’s the thing with me: I never say never, because I always get pissed off at those coaches when they say, ‘This is my last stop,’ or they sign a new contract and change jobs the next year,” Patterson said. “For me, it’s not only TCU, but Fort Worth is a special place.”

Another clue that Patterson has no interest in a program such as Texas A&M, for example, is starting over with a brand new (and much larger) group of boosters.

“I like being somewhere that I can really get to know the boosters and let them know how appreciative I am for their commitment to this program, but I also want them to know that just because they’re making that kind of investment doesn’t mean they’re going to have a stake in my program,” Patterson said. “The problem a lot of these places have is they think they can buy a championship. It’s hard to do that.”

Lastly, Patterson explained how deeply rooted he is here in the Fort Worth community.

“It’s very few times anybody in their life ever gets a chance to mean something to a group of people. My investment in this community runs a lot deeper than just football, and it’s a community and a city and a university that have been equally good to me and my family.”

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Patterson: Tennessee, Nebraska didn’t think I could handle big stage."