Keith Patterson - Defensive Coordinator - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Keith Patterson

Title:
Defensive Coordinator

Keith Patterson enters his third season as Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator, boasting 13 years of collegiate experience overseeing several of the nation’s top defenses. Patterson mentored the Red Raider linebackers during his debut season in 2019 but shifted to assisting with the secondary starting with the 2020 campaign.

This is Patterson’s third stint working alongside head coach Matt Wells and his second stop in the Big 12 Conference after spending the 2012-13 seasons in a similar role at West Virginia. Patterson arrived in Lubbock alongside Wells shortly after his hire as head coach as he was previously the defensive coordinator at Utah State in 2018. The two were also on staff together at Tulsa from 2003-06.

Patterson installed an aggressive scheme during his first season in Lubbock as the Red Raiders created 19 takeaways, 14 of which were via an interception. Texas Tech closed the season ranked third in the Big 12 and 17th in the country for interceptions, a category he helped Utah State lead the country in during the 2018 campaign.

Over his last three seasons at both Texas Tech and Utah State, Patterson’s units have created 61 takeaways, which ranks tied for eighth among active defensive coordinators during that stretch. Patterson leads all Big 12 defensive coordinators over those three years as his Red Raider defenses have caused 29 turnovers already in his tenure.

The Red Raiders featured two of the nation’s top defensive standouts in 2019 as Jordyn Brooks was a finalist for the Butkus Award (top linebacker), while Douglas Coleman III was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back). For Brooks, it marked the first time Tech had boasted a Butkus Award finalist since Ring of Honor member Zach Thomas in 1995.

Brooks thrived under Patterson’s guidance as he recorded 108 tackles, including 20.0 that went for a loss, despite missing the regular-season finale at Texas and most of the TCU game due to injury. He eventually earned second team All-America honors by nearly every organization as well as All-Big 12 first team accolades alongside Coleman, who closed the year with eight interceptions, the second-highest total in Tech single-season history.

Brooks was selected 27th overall of the 2020 NFL Draft as the Seattle Seahawks made him the first Red Raider defensive standout to hear his name called in the first round since College Football Hall of Famer Gabe Rivera in 1983. Brooks is one of three Patterson pupils to receive an NFL opportunity under Patterson as Broderick Washington Jr. was picked in the fifth round of the 2019 draft by the Baltimore Ravens, while Zech McPhearson was chosen in the fourth round a year later by the Philadelphia Eagles.

McPhearson developed into one of the nation’s top defensive backs after choosing to transfer to Texas Tech prior to the 2019 season. McPhearson earned All-Big 12 first team accolades as a senior in 2020, becoming only the second Texas Tech cornerback in the Big 12 era to garner the honor. He was the highest-drafted defensive back since Darcel McBath was selected in the second round in 2009.

Patterson was among Wells’ first hires at Tech after the two build one of nation’s most opportunistic defenses at Utah State in 2018. The Aggies shared the FBS lead with 32 forced turnovers during Patterson’s lone season as Utah State finished 11-2 overall, matching the most wins in program history after a victory in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.

Additionally, Utah State also led the country in interceptions (22) and three-and-outs forced (5.7 per game) under Patterson, while ranking third in defensive touchdowns (6), 16th in third down conversion defense (33.0 percent), 19th in passing efficiency defense (113.76), 21st in fourth down conversion defense (41.9 percent) and 33rd in scoring defense (22.2 points per game).

The 11-win campaign marked only the third time in Utah State history the Aggies have won 10 or more games in a season. The success launched the Aggies into the top-25 polls as Utah State closed the season at No. 21 in the final Amway Coaches’ poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press poll. It marked only the fourth in school history the Aggies have ended a season ranked in the AP poll.

Prior to his stint at Utah State, Patterson spent four seasons at Arizona State where he served as defensive coordinator from 2014-16 and then linebackers coach and defensive special teams coordinator in 2017. He worked with the Sun Devils’ linebackers in all four of his seasons on staff.

Similar to his defense at Utah State, Patterson took little time in transforming Arizona State into one of the most opportunistic units in the country. The Sun Devils ended his first year on staff ranked sixth in the FBS for turnover margin at plus-14 and also led the Pac-12 with 14 interceptions. Arizona State was 29th in the country for interceptions that year and also ranked among the top-25 units for sacks (13th), fumbles recovered (18th) and red zone defense (23rd).

Arizona State won 28 games and played in three bowl games during Patterson’s tenure in Tempe, highlighted by a 10-win campaign and victory in the Sun Bowl in 2014. The Sun Devils defeated four ranked opponents that season, including No. 16 USC at the Coliseum in Los Angeles as well as No. 23 Stanford, No. 18 Utah and No. 8 Notre Dame.

Patterson produced an aggressive defense in Tempe as the Sun Devils led the nation in sacks per game (3.54) following only his second season in 2015. Arizona State recorded 111 tackles for a loss that year, averaging 8.5 per game which led the Pac-12 and ranked third nationally. The Sun Devils forced 370 negative or no-yardage plays on the year, an impressive total that represented 38.3 percent of the total plays Arizona State faced.

Prior to his arrival in Tempe, Patterson spent two seasons at West Virginia where he worked as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2013 and as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2012. His arrival in Morgantown coincided with West Virginia joining the Big 12.

Under Patterson, linebacker Isaiah Bruce was named to three Freshman All-America teams and a pair of All-Big 12 honors in 2012. Bruce finished second on the team with 94 tackles that season and fourth with 6.5 tackles for a loss, while also tying for the team high with two interceptions.

Patterson moved to West Virginia from its former Big East Conference rival Pittsburgh where he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2011. The Panthers tormented opponents to the tune of 3.31 sacks and per game and 98.0 tackles for a loss on the year, which ranked third and 12th nationally among FBS programs.

Pittsburgh also closed the 2011 campaign ranked 14th in defensive third-down efficiency (32.98), 21st in rushing defense (116.9 yards per game), 38th in scoring defense (22.4 points per game) and 45th in total defense (350.6 yards per game). Patterson was named Pittsburgh’s interim head coach following the regular season, leading the Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl. He is 1-1 over his career as an interim head coach as he helped the Red Raiders close the 2020 season with a 16-13 victory over Kansas.

Before that, Patterson spent eight seasons (2003-10) in his native state of Oklahoma at the University of Tulsa. Patterson served as the linebackers coach for his first three seasons with the Golden Hurricanes before being named the primary defensive play-caller in 2006. Tulsa played in six bowl games during Patterson’s tenure, which was capped by three 10-win campaigns over his final four seasons.

Patterson molded a defense that led the country with 24 interceptions and ranked third in turnovers gained in 2010 as the Golden Hurricanes finished 10-3 overall after a 62-35 rout of No. 24 Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Tulsa picked off the nation’s top passing offense five times in the rout, its third-consecutive bowl victory and fourth during Patterson’s eight seasons.

Patterson’s defense produced three first team All-Conference USA performers in Nick Bunting, Chris Chamberlain and Nelson Coleman, who all rank among the top-10 tacklers in program history. Coleman sits atop that list with 413 career stops, earning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006 and Western Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year accolades in 2003. Chamberlain, meanwhile, closed his career with the fifth-highest tackle total in Tulsa history before being selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Tulsa was Patterson’s first full-time collegiate position after 16 years at the high school level in both Oklahoma and Texas. He spent two years (2000 and 2002) as the linebackers, defensive backs and special teams coach at Allen (Texas) High School, marking his second stint in the Dallas area after also serving as an assistant coach for the Eagles from 1995-96.

Patterson returned to Allen after serving as the head coach at Ardmore High School in Oklahoma, collecting District Coach of the Year honors after leading the Tigers to the District 1-5A title in 1999. Patterson was also head coach at Edmond Sante Fe High School in 1994, one of 10 years he spent overall in the Oklahoma high school ranks.

Patterson, a native of Marlow, Oklahoma, earned his bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from East Central (Okla.) University in 1986. He was a four-year letterman at defensive back for ECU and later served his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. He obtained his master’s degree in kinesiology and sport studies in 2003 from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Patterson and his wife Melissa have three daughters and one son.

KEITH PATTERSON COACHING EXPERIENCE
2020-Present – Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator
2019 – Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2018 – Utah State Defensive Coordinator (Safeties)
2017 – Arizona State Assistant Coach (Linebackers/Defensive Special Teams)
2014-16 – Arizona State Defensive Coordinator
2013 – West Virginia Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2012 – West Virginia Co-Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2011 – Pittsburgh Interim Head Coach
2011 – Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2006-10 – Tulsa Co-Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2003-05 – Tulsa Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
2002 – Allen High School Assistant Coach
2000 – Allen High School Assistant Coach
1997-99 – Ardmore (Okla.) High School Head Coach
1995-96 – Allen High School Assistant Coach
1994 – Edmond Sante Fe (Okla.) High School Head Coach
1992-93 – Edmond Sante Fe (Okla.) High School Assistant Coach
1988-91 – Altus (Okla.) High School Assistant Coach
1986 – East Central Oklahoma Graduate Assistant