TCU, Gary Patterson mutually agree to part ways

TCU and head coach Gary Patterson have mutually agreed to part ways, the school announced Sunday.

Jerry Kill will serve as the Horned Frogs' interim coach.

"Chancellor (Victor Boschini) and I met with coach Patterson today and mutually agreed that the time has come for a new voice and leadership in our football program," TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said.

"We asked him to continue on as our head coach for the remainder of the season, and take on a different role in 2022, but he believed it was in the team's and TCU's best interests to begin the transition immediately. We respect coach Patterson's perspective and will move forward in that direction."

The two-time AP Coach of the Year has held the job at TCU since 2000, compiling a 181-79 record. Patterson was the second-longest tenured coach in the FBS.

The Horned Frogs owned a 3-5 overall record under his guidance this year and have struggled to find success in Big 12 play with a 1-4 mark. The program's hope of qualifying for a bowl game is in serious jeopardy after dropping its third straight contest in a 31-12 loss to Kansas State on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs have not finished higher than fifth in the conference standings over the past three seasons.

Patterson, 61, has led the program to 17 bowl appearances, finishing with a 11-6 record. He also guided TCU through four different conferences: WAC, Conference USA, Mountain West, and the Big 12.

TCU previously reached the Big 12 championship in 2017, losing to Oklahoma. The school has not been ranked in the AP poll since September 2019, The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr. and Bruce Feldman report.