TCU head coach Gary Patterson named Coach of the Year

TCU head coach Gary Patterson helped the team form one of the most dominant offenses in college football en route to a share of the Big XII title.

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After a great season that had the TCU Horned Frogs on the cusp of the College Football Playoffs, Gary Patterson has been named the College Football Coach of the Year.

Patterson was given the award by The Associated Press on Wednesday, joining Nick Saban as the only two-time winners. The AP coach of the year has been awarded since 1998. Patterson, in his 14th season at TCU, was coach of the year in 2009. Saban was coach of the year in 2003 when he was with LSU and in 2008 at Alabama.

Patterson received 27 of 54 votes from the AP Top 25 media panel. Urban Meyer of Ohio State was the runner-up with 14 votes. Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen received six votes. Saban and Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez drew two votes each. Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, Baylor’s Art Briles and Memphis’ Justin Fuente had one.

Patterson guided the sixth-ranked Horned Frogs to an 11-1 record and a share of the Big 12 title after going 4-8 in 2013.

“The head coaches get too much attention,” Patterson said. “That means really that you had a good team. Good players and really a great coaching staff.”

TCU went from being ranked 105th in the nation in yards per play and 106th in yards per game in 2013 to ranking ninth and fourth, respectively, in those categories in 2014. The Horned Frogs increased their points per game by three touchdowns, from 25 to 46.

QB Trevone Boykin, who seemed destined to become a full-time receiver, instead developed into one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.

“It was a big jump for us,” Patterson said. “Thirty-two years of my 33 years [in coaching] I’ve been part of run, play action, play good defense. Special teams. This was outside of my comfort zone.”