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Patterson finished an impressive four-year career at TCU (1979-82) as the school's all-time leader in total tackles (544), unassisted tackles (286) and assisted tackles (258). He was selected in the sixth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, but found his way to the Canadian Football League for a seven-year career as a linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1984-88) and the Hamilton Tiger Cats (1988-90). Patterson won a Grey Cup championship with Winnipeg in 1984 and was on a runner-up Grey Cup squad while playing for Hamilton in 1989.
Following his playing days, Patterson began his coaching career as an intern for the British Columbia Lions in 1991. His collegiate coaching stops have included Akron (1992-94), Temple (1995-96), Kentucky (1997-2000), Arkansas State (2001), Baylor (2002), Southern Methodist (2003-04) and Stanford (2005-current). He also had a coaching stint with Ottawa of the CFL in 1995.
Patterson coached linebackers during his stops at Southern Methodist, Baylor and Arkansas State. At Baylor, he coached linebacker John Garrett, who went on to sign an NFL free agent contract.
During his four seasons at Kentucky, Patterson was part of a staff that advanced to two bowl games: the Outback Bowl versus Penn State following the 1998 season and the 1999 Music City Bowl against Syracuse. While at Kentucky, Patterson coached safeties Willie Gary and Anthony Wajda to All-SEC honors, as well as Freshman All-American David Jackson.
Patterson coached defensive tackle Larry Chester during his two seasons at Temple. Chester went on to sign an NFL contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
He returned to the Canadian Football League in 1995 as a defensive line and special teams coach for the Ottawa Rough Riders. One of his players, John Cropke, was named All-Canadian and All-East Division.
Patterson's first foray into the collegiate coaching ranks came in 1992 when he began a three-year stint at Akron (1992-94). Two of his top players were Second-Team All-American kicker Darren Alcorn and OLB/DE Jason Taylor.
Patterson earned a Bachelor's degree in Human Relations from TCU in 1984. He and his wife Julie, whom he met while playing professionally in Canada, have three children: Michael, Monika and Meghan.
The Patterson File
| Full Name: | Darrell Patterson |
| Date of Birth: | December 14, 1961 |
| Hometown: | Canonsburg, PA |
| High School: | Canon McMillan |
| College: | TCU, 1984 (B.A., Human Relations) |
| Wife: | Julie |
| Children: | Michael, Monika, Meghan |
| Playing Experience: | LB, TCU (1979-82) LB, Winnipeg - CFL (1984-88) LB, Hamilton - CFL (1988-90) |
| Recruiting Regions: | Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Eastern Canada |
Coaching Assignments
YEAR(S) | SCHOOL/TEAM | POSITION |
1991 | British Columbia - CFL | Assistant to the Defensive Coordinator |
| 1992-94 | Akron | OLB/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 1995 | Ottawa - CFL | Defensive Line/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 1995-96 | Temple | Defensive Line |
| 1997-2000 | Kentucky | Safeties |
| 2001 | Arkansas State | Linebackers |
| 2002 | Baylor | Linebackers |
| 2003-04 | Southern Methodist | Linebackers |
| 2005-06 | Stanford | Inside Linebackers |
Bowl Experience
| YEAR | BOWL | SCHOOL |
| 1998 | Outback Bowl | Kentucky |
| 1999 | Music City Bowl | Kentucky |
Prominent Players Coached
| PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL |
| Darren Alcorn | PK/P | Akron |
| Jason Taylor | OLB/DE | Akron |
| John Cropke | DL | Ottawa |
| Larry Chester | DT | Temple |
| Willie Gary | FS | Kentucky |
| David Johnson | SS | Kentucky |
| Anthony Wajda | FS | Kentucky |
| John Garrett | LB | Baylor |
Last Updated: December 11, 2006