USC has hired longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson as its newest defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.
Patterson, 65, is a 2026 inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame and went 181-79 (11-6 in bowl games) at TCU to become the winningest coach in program history.
He’s been working as an off-field analyst at Texas and as a consultant at Baylor since he was let go as TCU’s head coach in 2021.
Patterson is highly regarded for his brilliance on defense, which included perfecting the 4-2-5 defensive scheme that is used by teams across the country. Prior to being the head coach at TCU, he was an assistant coach who mainly worked in a defensive capacity.
He was the defensive coordinator at TCU from 1998 to 2000 and held the same position at New Mexico from 1996 to 1997. Navy and Utah State had used him as a secondary coach and he was a linebackers coach at multiple smaller schools, including Pittsburg State, UC Davis and Tennessee Tech.
USC’s previous defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, was named Penn State’s defensive coordinator on Jan. 2 and did not coach for the Trojans in their overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30.
Patterson will inherit a defense that struggled to stop the run in the 2025 season. The Trojans allowed 143.23 rushing yards per game, which ranked them 12th out of 18 Big Ten Conference teams in terms of run defense.
Several key defensive players will return next season. The defensive line will bring back Jahkeem Stewart, while Kameryn Crawford and Braylan Shelby will return at defensive end. Safety Christian Pierce and cornerback Marcelles Williams will also be back.
USC has at least one more hire to make on defense before the staff is complete. Secondary coach Doug Belk has left the program, leaving an opportunity for Patterson to bring in one of his own men.
Belk spent two seasons with the Trojans and in 2025, the passing defense allowed 207.5 yards per game to rank ninth in the Big Ten.
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