TCU football loses key assistant coach to Big 12 rival
In a surprising move, TCU football lost another assistant coach to a Big 12 rival.
Former safeties coach Paul Gonzales was hired by Baylor on Sunday to become the Bears’ new cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Baylor announced the hire on its football team’s social media account late Sunday evening.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join Coach Aranda and Baylor Football,” Gonzales said in a statement. “I look forward to doing my part to make the Baylor secondary elite. Pursuing a championship is my primary goal and I believe in Coach Aranda’s vision to achieve that.”
Gonzales has been with the Horned Frogs over a decade starting in 2012. He was promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2015 by Gary Patterson and coached that position until 2018 when he moved to coaching safeties.
Gonzales was retained by Sonny Dykes and continued to coach safeties the last three seasons. Gonzales was an ace recruiter and developer of talent for the Horned Frogs as he coached multiple All-Americans and future NFL players.
Tre’von Moehrig, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, was voted the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s best defensive back. Ar’Darius Washington, now with the Baltimore Ravens, was another standout along with Moehrig and was voted a freshman All-American in 2019.
Since those two, Gonzales has landed multiple four-star recruits in consecutive classes and helped develop Bud Clark into an All-Big 12 safety this past season. Clark elected to return to school for one more season and should be one of the best safeties in the country.
Gonzales also helped recruit Arlington Seguin standout Jamel Johnson, who briefly entered the transfer portal after the season only to withdraw his name. The Horned Frogs also signed former four-star recruit Kylin Jackson from LSU in the portal this cycle.
Former inside wide receivers coach Doug Meacham was the other assistant to leave for a Big 12 program as he was hired to become Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator.
