TCU coach Gary Patterson believes Tennessee and Nebraska declined to offer him head coaching jobs because they didn’t think he could handle “the big stage.”
“My wife and I went to dinner with them, and I could tell [Tennessee] had already decided on [Lane] Kiffin,” Patterson told ESPN. “It was the same with Nebraska. I interviewed and could tell they had already decided on [Bo] Pelini. I think a lot of these ADs now are more interested in hiring guys who’re going to win the podium than they are in hiring football coaches, and there’s a lot more to it than that if you’re going to win championships.