Gary Patterson Bringing TCU Legend Into USC Trojans Fanbase

When the USC Trojans hired former TCU Horned Frogs coach as their new defensive coordinator, the program got some new fans, including one of the best quarterbacks to play for Patterson at TCU.

Sep 11, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson sings the school alma mater after the win over the California Golden Bears at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley recently hired defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, a former head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs, and the move by USC has made a Trojan fan out of a TCU legend. Former Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin recently shared his support for Patterson in Southern California with a post on social media:

"Damn not me becoming a USC fan lol..." wrote Boykin.

Nov 14, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson talks with quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Horned Frogs defeats the Jayhawks 23-17. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Damn not me becoming a USC fan lol…

— Trevone Boykin (@2TBoykin) January 31, 2026

Gary Patterson's TCU Horned Frogs Tenure

Boykin was TCU's quarterback from 2012 to 2015, finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting after the 2014 season. He threw for 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns en route to winning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Under the leadership of Patterson and Boykin, TCU nearly reached the inaugural four-team College Football Playoff.

Patterson had a number of successful runs with the Horned Frogs after spending over two decades leading the program, and Boykin's era was one of the brightest. In 2014, Patterson was named AP Coach of the Year, the second time in his career after earning the honor in 2009. Patterson led TCU to a win in the 2011 Rose Bowl over Wisconsin with former Horned Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton directing the offense.

If his success at TCU is any indication of how Patterson will perform as USC's defensive coordinator, the Trojans could be in for some exciting times. In 2010, the Horned Frogs allowed the fewest points per game in the nation with an average of 12. That year, opposing offenses averaged 228.5 total yards per game against TCU, good for No. 1 in all of college football.

Jan 1, 2011; Pasadena, CA, USA; TCU Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson holds the Leishman Trophy after the Horned Frogs' 21-19 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2011 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In 2008 and 2009, the Horned Frogs ranked No. 1 in the nation for total yards allowed, giving TCU the lowest mark in the country for three consecutive seasons.

USC Trojans' Expectations for Gary Patterson

Can Patterson's defensive acumen translate into immediate results on the field for USC? At his introductory press conference, Patterson spoke about his time with the Horned Frogs and how it compares to the modern era of college football.

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TCU coach Gary Patterson during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Oklahoma won 52-31 | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Well, number one, when I started at TCU, we didn't have any of this new building that's going up and all the rest of it. If I could step back and if you ever did it again, I don't want to be the bad cop. I kind of had to become to we had to play with more with less, and so you had to grow guys up. You had to make them tough if you didn't have the players. It's one of the things that they'll get from me here, all those things, all those things that you talk about that, hey, you have to do it. You got to play hard. You got to do all of it."

Patterson talked about letting USC general manager Chad Bowden and Riley manage the ever-changing world of high school and transfer portal recruiting, allowing Patterson to focus on coordinator the defense.