Gary Patterson led TCU to a 3-5 record this season. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

TCU fired Gary Patterson because it wants to hire Sonny Dykes?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 11/1/21

TCU on Sunday surprisingly parted ways with Gary Patterson as head coach even though he had been extremely successful at the school. Even though the Horned Frogs are 3-5 this season, Patterson’s firing was surprising; few saw it coming.

Maybe TCU was concerned with the trajectory of the football program the last four seasons. Since going 11-3 in 2017, the Horned Frogs have gone: 7-6, 5-7, 6-5 and now 3-5. Perhaps TCU had its eyes on a replacement, and its need to pursue him triggered the midseason move. At least that’s what we think.

See, another Texas school recently fired its head coach: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders fired Matt Wells a week ago and are looking for a new coach.

Sonny Dykes, who has SMU at 7-1 this season, was believed to be a top target for Texas Tech. But guess what? TCU reportedly has Dykes as its No. 1 target.

With Gary Patterson out at TCU, sources tell me that SMU's Sonny Dykes is the top target for the Horned Frogs. Other potential options include A&M DC Mike Elko and Louisiana's Billy Napier. Here's how the TCU coaching search shapes up: https://t.co/4uFfZtzwXX

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 1, 2021

Our guess is that TCU pushed aside Patterson so it could slip in and hire Dykes before Texas Tech got him. Others feel the same.

Sources: Sonny Dykes seems to be TCU’s top target. Today’s agreement could be a reaction to the Matt Wells firing in order to get in line for the same candidate(s).

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) October 31, 2021

In the past, Dykes raved about the TCU job, indicating that might be something he wants.

Found this 2018 story from @chris_hummer where Sonny Dykes called TCU a “top 15” job in college football.

It was in response to a question about how SMU could mirror TCU’s climb. Dykes spent one season as an offensive analyst at TCU. https://t.co/eTTWmIarPQ pic.twitter.com/s4iA83QND3

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) November 1, 2021

The Star-Telegram reported last week that SMU officials expected Dykes to leave for another job after the season. With the way things are going, Dykes might have another job within weeks. And Texas Tech might have to consider alternatives.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: