Keith Patterson wasn’t looking to become a head coach while serving as Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator during the 2021 season. But that quickly changed when Abilene Christian approached him with an opportunity to take over the Wildcats’ program.

As a seasoned coach renowned for crafting some of the top defenses in FBS, Patterson was aware that his first collegiate head coaching role would require adjustments. However, the most significant changes that surprised him were the differences between FBS and FCS.

For example, an FBS school is committed to honoring the scholarship agreement inside the National Letter of Intent throughout the athlete’s tenure at the university, even if the player is no longer on the roster. Conversely, institutions at the FCS level are only bound to the scholarship agreement for one semester. 

“I didn’t understand how FCS football works from a scholarship standpoint. It’s been a learning curve for me,” Patterson said. “College football is very fluid right now in a lot of different ways. Your roster management at this level is huge, and we’re probably in the best spot since I arrived.”

Patterson admits his first two years in Abilene were a whirlwind filled with adjustments on and off the field.

“I was probably spoiled at the FBS level,” he said. “I remember our first day of spring football after I arrived. The ball rolled out of bounds, and I’m wondering why our managers aren’t getting the ball. We didn’t have any managers. Compared to what we have in FBS, this felt like a bare-bones operation. We didn’t have an equipment manager and used students to film practice. We still use students, but someone has to keep everything organized.”

Some of the chaos was on ACU’s coaching staff. Patterson replaced both coordinators during the offseason. He hired Aaron Fletcher to serve as defensive coordinator after Skyler Cassity left to serve the same role at Sam Houston. 

Figuring out what offense he wanted to use was another challenge for Patterson, who has hired three offensive coordinators in his three years in Abilene.

“When I got the job, everything happened so fast. I didn’t have a plan,” Patterson said. “My network did not include many offensive coaches, and I didn’t have a good feel for what offense I wanted.”

ACU had high expectations entering the 2023 season. The 2022 squad set those expectations after Patterson’s first year resulted in a 7-4 record and a late loss to Stephen F. Austin in the Western Athletic Conference. However, a 5-6 record, including a 3-3 mark in the United Athletic Conference while averaging 26 points per game, caused Patterson to reevaluate the offense during the offseason.

“I stepped back and asked myself, ‘What do I believe?’ What do I want the offense to become,” Patterson said. “I remember working alongside offensive coordinators like Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell, Dana Holgorsen, Sonny Cumbie, and Chad Morris, and I decided to go that route.”

Patterson sought advice from people he holds in high regard, including Holgorsen and North Carolina State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. After consultation, he landed on Rick Bowie, who served on staff with Patterson at West Virginia during the Holgorsen era.

Patterson expects quarterback Maverick McIvor, who is entering his third season leading the offense, to have a tremendous season under Bowie.

“Rick is going to help elevate his game to another level,” Patterson said. “You think back to our first year here when we were one minute and 20 seconds away from winning a conference championship. Maverick’s first year here, he and our top four wide receivers didn’t go through spring.”

What are Patterson’s goals for the 2024 ACU Wildcats?

“We have three goals that we set every year,” he said. “We want to go undefeated at home. Then any road games you win will put you in a position to win the conference. We want to win the conference, get in the playoffs, and make a run for the national championship. That’s what it’s all about. If I expected anything less than that - why would I coach? If that’s not everyone else’s expectations around here, I need to raise their expectations to meet mine.”

DCTF’s Take

One thing that hasn’t changed in recent years in college football is the expectations of a fan base. Everything is roses when you’re 7-4 and 80 seconds from winning the program’s first FCS conference championship. But a 5-6 record in 2023 was an unexpected setback for the ACU faithful. 

No one sets higher expectations for the Wildcats program than Patterson. The university and donors have invested in facilities that are some of the best in FCS, and they expect a return on their investment. However, establishing a successful program every season takes time and infrastructure. Fixing the infrastructure will require an investment. Whether the fan base is patient enough to allow for the necessary growing pains remains to be seen.