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Heartland Sports: Sonny Dykes Credits Gary Patterson For Why He Picked TCU Over Texas Tech

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog

Sonny Dykes Credits Gary Patterson For Why He Picked TCU Over Texas Tech​

By Bryan Clinton

USATSI_18971790.jpg


Sonny Dykes and TCU are a match made in heaven through eight games as the Horned Frogs are undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

There were questions about the fit coming into the season, but Dykes has silenced all the doubters and has TCU playing the best it has in five years.

TCU’s brand isn’t quite the attention grabber that Ohio State, Alabama, or Georgia are, and that is an issue when it comes to the College Football Playoff Committee, the talking heads, and the countless buffoons that only see brands rather than metrics.

Read more at https://www.heartlandcollegesports....jOR-Qh_ZVJ8vXYN9dLIsySI094rf0n4AJQgUgKYqZhQMs
 

Toad Jones

Active Member

Sonny Dykes Credits Gary Patterson For Why He Picked TCU Over Texas Tech​

By Bryan Clinton

USATSI_18971790.jpg


Sonny Dykes and TCU are a match made in heaven through eight games as the Horned Frogs are undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

There were questions about the fit coming into the season, but Dykes has silenced all the doubters and has TCU playing the best it has in five years.

TCU’s brand isn’t quite the attention grabber that Ohio State, Alabama, or Georgia are, and that is an issue when it comes to the College Football Playoff Committee, the talking heads, and the countless buffoons that only see brands rather than metrics.

Read more at https://www.heartlandcollegesports....jOR-Qh_ZVJ8vXYN9dLIsySI094rf0n4AJQgUgKYqZhQMs
I like Dykes. A lot.
 

Wexahu

Full Member
Will always appreciate CGP for what he was able to accomplish here and wish him the best elsewhere.

Was kinda skeptical about Dykes for months. But I'm sold now.
Curious why you were skeptical for months, and I assume that means you weren't happy with the hire when it was made. What made you more skeptical about him than other logical, realistic candidates that were out there?

There are some really good coaches out there that never really get a chance to shine because for whatever reason they can't land the good gig, the one where winning isn't almost impossible without a massive shift in university priorities. Like Cal, for example. All Dykes has done his whole career is take what he's given and improve on it.
 

Zubaz

Member
Curious why you were skeptical for months, and I assume that means you weren't happy with the hire when it was made. What made you more skeptical about him than other logical, realistic candidates that were out there?

There are some really good coaches out there that never really get a chance to shine because for whatever reason they can't land the good gig, the one where winning isn't almost impossible without a massive shift in university priorities. Like Cal, for example. All Dykes has done his whole career is take what he's given and improve on it.
I'll admit I was (still am, to a certain extent) skeptical. He did have a tendency to underperform, particularly as the season went on. Regressing to a 4-loss team in the American wasn't exactly the sort of hire that knocks you on the floor. It's not that I thought he was bad really, just....kinda B- or so.

That said, a ton of that is the context of who he was replacing. When you get out of a long term relationship, that next one is usually a rebound and not meant to last.
 

4 Oaks Frog

Active Member
It is quite possible that soon we will be able to refer to Sonny as…
AWHCSMFD

GO FROGS!
BEAT RASH!
Spit Blood ~~<~<and [Baylor asshoe] baylor!!
 

Wexahu

Full Member
I'll admit I was (still am, to a certain extent) skeptical. He did have a tendency to underperform, particularly as the season went on. Regressing to a 4-loss team in the American wasn't exactly the sort of hire that knocks you on the floor. It's not that I thought he was bad really, just....kinda B- or so.

That said, a ton of that is the context of who he was replacing. When you get out of a long term relationship, that next one is usually a rebound and not meant to last.
Some of the "regressing" later in years was just a function of scheduling, which isn't all that uncommon. SMU has been a doormat program for most of the 30 years they've been back from the death penalty, I think some people weren't giving him enough credit for what he was doing there, regardless of the late season setbacks. He did far better than his two predecessors at La Tech. He did fine at Cal, especially considering what an awkward fit is must have been there. Who knows where he would be now if he had a held on for another year or two at La Tech and waited for a better opportunity than Cal-Berkeley. There is reason to question his judgment in taking that job for sure.

I mean, I still think he's got a lot to prove, (hell we could lose the last 4 games and everyone would have an entirely different POV), but so would just about anyone else we could have hired. And he was easily the most logical choice. I think the people saying he had a "low ceiling" because of what he did at Cal....that made zero sense.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
Some of the "regressing" later in years was just a function of scheduling, which isn't all that uncommon. SMU has been a doormat program for most of the 30 years they've been back from the death penalty, I think some people weren't giving him enough credit for what he was doing there, regardless of the late season setbacks. He did far better than his two predecessors at La Tech. He did fine at Cal, especially considering what an awkward fit is must have been there. Who knows where he would be now if he had a held on for another year or two at La Tech and waited for a better opportunity than Cal-Berkeley. There is reason to question his judgment in taking that job for sure.

I mean, I still think he's got a lot to prove, (hell we could lose the last 4 games and everyone would have an entirely different POV), but so would just about anyone else we could have hired. And he was easily the most logical choice. I think the people saying he had a "low ceiling" because of what he did at Cal....that made zero sense.
Also entirely possible that he wasn’t underachieving later in the season but was actually overachieving early in the season.
 

Cougar/Frog

Active Member
Dykes was a great hire and GP deserves credit for building TCU into a great place for football. SD will make sure it progresses further.

GP lost the team and refused to adapt enough to the new era. SD looks like he knows how to make TCU a long term success at an even higher level.

SD also seems more humble than GP. The Cal experience kicked him way down. He very much appreciates everything he now has.
 

WhatTheFrog

Active Member
Some of the "regressing" later in years was just a function of scheduling, which isn't all that uncommon. SMU has been a doormat program for most of the 30 years they've been back from the death penalty, I think some people weren't giving him enough credit for what he was doing there, regardless of the late season setbacks. He did far better than his two predecessors at La Tech. He did fine at Cal, especially considering what an awkward fit is must have been there. Who knows where he would be now if he had a held on for another year or two at La Tech and waited for a better opportunity than Cal-Berkeley. There is reason to question his judgment in taking that job for sure.

I mean, I still think he's got a lot to prove, (hell we could lose the last 4 games and everyone would have an entirely different POV), but so would just about anyone else we could have hired. And he was easily the most logical choice. I think the people saying he had a "low ceiling" because of what he did at Cal....that made zero sense.
I think that was more a case of Cal having a low ceiling and Dykes doing what he could with what he had to work with.
 

Deep Purple

Full Member
Some of the "regressing" later in years was just a function of scheduling, which isn't all that uncommon. SMU has been a doormat program for most of the 30 years they've been back from the death penalty,
Part of the problem may have been that SMU just never had the depth of talent to weather the wear and tear of a long season. The Ponies had good -- sometimes VERY good -- starting players at many key positions, but there was never a whole lot behind them in the supporting cast. When you can't rotate your starters early in the season to keep them fresh and relatively uninjured, that starts to tell later in the season.
 

FrogCop19

Active Member
I know I've harped on this in other threads, but I also believe that one of the reasons for GP's slide in the last few years was his unwillingness to reach out and bring in new coaches.

I think CSD did a GREAT job of going out and getting an amazing staff. Gillespie, for example. He has freely admitted he went out and got him because the 3-3-5 was such a pain in the butt to play against. Once we get the correct pieces in place for his defense I strongly feel like we are going to be a force to reckon with.

Bringing Kaz along, despite the "good job Big XII" moment and the grease of working with the Waco Warden, has been a masterful stroke. I can't remember the last time we made it this far into the season with...well, let's just say we're freakishly healthy and don't quit as the game progresses. In fact, I truly believe we get stronger as the game goes on when the other teams start getting tired. That's a DIRECT complement to Kaz's program.

I could go on and on about who he kept and who he brought along and who he went after, but I would imagine most of you have already stopped reading. The point is, he has surrounded himself with an excellent staff, and that, as Robert Frost would say, has made all the difference.
 

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
Bringing Kaz along, despite the "good job Big XII" moment and the grease of working with the Waco Warden, has been a masterful stroke. I can't remember the last time we made it this far into the season with...well, let's just say we're freakishly healthy and don't quit as the game progresses. In fact, I truly believe we get stronger as the game goes on when the other teams start getting tired. That's a DIRECT complement to Kaz's program.

I could go on and on about who he kept and who he brought along and who he went after, but I would imagine most of you have already stopped reading. The point is, he has surrounded himself with an excellent staff, and that, as Robert Frost would say, has made all the difference.
As others have mentioned, I owe that man a big fat apology.
 

FrogAbroad

Full Member
Like a couple of others who've already posted in this and another thread or two, I had some reservations regarding HCSD's hire, principally the late season swoons some of his teams seem to have experienced. At the 2/3 point of his freshman season at TCU I'm less anxious than I was pre-season, and reasonably confident this team won't collapse like a cheap card table during the final 1/3. I believe he still must prove sustainability throughout an entire season--just like every new coach and staff--but the factor that most impresses me so far is the overall improvement of the offense, especially the almost overnight maturation of Duggan's QB play. I doubt SD is directly, solely responsible himself, but rather he has deftly organized a coaching staff that is able, empowered and motivated to meet the players' needs quickly and effectively. It's possible SD may fall on his keister before season's end, but the apparent development of player personnel leaves me very inclined to believe a double-digit number of wins will cap his inaugural season at TCU.
 

Zubaz

Member
Like a couple of others who've already posted in this and another thread or two, I had some reservations regarding HCSD's hire, principally the late season swoons some of his teams seem to have experienced. At the 2/3 point of his freshman season at TCU I'm less anxious than I was pre-season, and reasonably confident this team won't collapse like a cheap card table during the final 1/3. I believe he still must prove sustainability throughout an entire season--just like every new coach and staff--but the factor that most impresses me so far is the overall improvement of the offense, especially the almost overnight maturation of Duggan's QB play. I doubt SD is directly, solely responsible himself, but rather he has deftly organized a coaching staff that is able, empowered and motivated to meet the players' needs quickly and effectively. It's possible SD may fall on his keister before season's end, but the apparent development of player personnel leaves me very inclined to believe a double-digit number of wins will cap his inaugural season at TCU.
The thing that impresses me the most is the culture change. It's pretty clear that something had gotten rotten in that locker room the last few years. Regardless of who was right or wrong, a change was needed. Now, with mostly the same players, these guys seem closer than I've ever seen. That and the complete 180 turn to a fan-oriented environment has been incredibly refreshing, and it is very much paying dividends both on and off the field.
 

Wexahu

Full Member
Being 7-0 right now doesn't change history. He didn't do "fine" at Cal. His teams sucked and his defenses were horrible
First, he's 8-0, not that it really changes anything.

Second, by your definition Cal has sucked for more than 70 years. Their last coach to win at even a 60% clip was done in 1956. Other than his first year after he inherited a train wreck, Dykes did about as well as anyone does there, and they've had some decent coaches through the years.
 
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