‘No one hired yet.’ TCU’s Patterson remains in the process of finalizing his staff
TCU football coach Gary Patterson has not made any staff hires as of Thursday afternoon.
Asked about a report stating that Doug Meacham would be rejoining his staff, Patterson simply said: “No one hired yet.”
Patterson and the athletic department do not have a timetable for when the football staff will be put in place, but it’s expected to be “very soon.”
Patterson is looking to fill two on-field assistant positions with the departures of co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Curtis Luper to Missouri, and O-line coach Chris Thomsen to Florida State.
The program is also looking at creating an additional position that would serve in an advising role, but not count as one of the 10 on-field assistant jobs.
Patterson has already decided to make an internal change to fill Thomsen’s void on the staff, moving Jarrett Anderson from inside receivers coach back to the O-line.
The other two positions, a running backs coach and a wide receivers coach, remain open for now.
It’s possible that Meacham lands one of the positions and is back in Fort Worth. He’s one of several candidates to join Patterson’s staff.
Meacham served as TCU’s co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach from 2014-16 before leaving to become Kansas’ offensive coordinator. Meacham lasted less than two years at KU, being fired midway through the 2018 season.
Meacham has most recently served as the offensive coordinator of the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks, joining that club last July. The XFL is scheduled to begin play next month.
If Meacham returns to Fort Worth, he would reunite with co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie.
Meacham and Cumbie helped build one of the most successful offensive runs in program history in 2014-15 when the team went a combined 23-3 and ranked among the top offenses in the country.
The offense regressed in 2016 following the departures of quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson.
But Patterson has been mum on his staff since the season ended with a 20-17 loss to West Virginia on Nov. 29. His response on Thursday is the first public comments he’s made since the season finale.
Along with Meacham, other names being circulated as possible candidates to join TCU’s staff include Illinois wide receiver coach and TCU alum Andrew Hayes-Stoker; Central Florida wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt; William & Mary’s offensive coordinator Brennan Marion; Louisiana running backs coach Jabbar Juluke; and McNeese State head coach Sterlin Gilbert, among several others.
Candidates for the advising role could include a former head coach such as Jerry Kill, one Patterson’s longtime friends.
A look at potential staff candidates —
▪ Meacham: As stated, he was on Patterson’s staff during some of the best offensive seasons in 2014-15. He also has play-calling experience, although those duties appear to remain Cumbie’s for now.
▪ Andrew Hayes-Stoker: He started his coaching career as a recruiting assistant under Patterson in 2004. He’s spent a number of years at the NFL level with stints at the Chicago Bears (2006-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15). He’s been at Illinois since the 2016 season.
▪ Darrell Wyatt: Another intriguing candidate who coached TCU outside receivers coach Malcolm Kelly at Oklahoma in 2005. Along with OU, Wyatt has had stops at Arkansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas and Southern Miss, among others. At Texas, Wyatt was on Charlie Strong’s staff from 2011-13, holding the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2013.
▪ Brennan Marion: The 32-year-old is considered a rising star in the coaching industry. He was invited to the 2019 NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit and the prestigious American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Leadership Institute.
▪ Jabbar Juluke: He’s turned Louisiana into one of the top rushing attacks in the country. The Ragin’ Cajuns ranked No. 7 in the country last season in rushing offense (265.3 yards per game). Plus, Juluke has spent time coaching in the Big 12 with Texas Tech in 2017.
▪ Sterlin Gilbert: Gilbert was Texas’ offensive coordinator in 2016 before following Charlie Strong to South Florida in 2017-18. He’s now head coach at McNeese State, a job that may be difficult for Patterson lure him away from.
For now, though, Patterson is keeping his plans close to his vest. The only thing known is that no hires have officially been made.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 11:33 AM.
