Tuesdays with Mack: On Aranda Hiring Gary Patterson

College football, as a sport and culture, is known for its unique brand of zaniness. Still, it is hard to imagine many better examples of never-say-never unpredictability than Dave Aranda's recent staff hire. And, on the surface, it's a brilliant tactical move. 

As Colt Barber reported last week, former TCU head coach Gary Patterson is joining Dave Aranda's Baylor staff as a senior-level consultant. This week, Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades confirmed the hire with 365 Sports, diving deeper into the move during his recent visit. 

So, how did this come about? 

It starts with one of Aranda's notable changes this offseason: taking a more hands-on, playcalling role with the defense. 

"I knew that Dave had been contemplating somebody outside our program that had years of experience and had been through a lot of battles, a lot of wars, had a lot of scars, just to be a resource and be another mind that he could rely on. And, I do think that Coach Patterson, he has an elite coaching mind, and certainly has a ton of experience."

And that sounds great in theory, given his track record, but balancing those duties on top of head coaching responsibilities is a risky move and too much for many to handle, but not entirely uncommon. 

Offensively, USC's Lincoln Riley and Texas' Steve Sarkisian are high-profile examples of head coaches who call plays. This offseason, Hugh Freeze took over the playcalling at Auburn after a one-and-done year with former Baylor OC Philip Montgomery. 

After much criticism, Ryan Day finally gave up playcalling duties at Ohio State, ultimately passing that role on to new OC Chip Kelly after original selection Bill O'Brien took the Boston College head coaching job. 

A hot question in Gainesville is if or when Billy Napier will be forced to do the same. Jimbo Fisher's role in playcalling became a critical point towards the end of his time at Texas A&M. 

Defensively, in recent years, Tom Allen unsuccessfully tried to do the same towards the end of his Indiana tenure before getting canned. Manny Diaz took over playcalling duties in the leadup to what ended up being his final season at Miami.  

"When you think about Dave Aranda, head coach, and then also calling the defense and running the defense. There's not many that have done that. And quite frankly, the last one to do it really, really well was coach Patterson," Rhoades said. 

The two defensive masterminds also have a solid personal relationship that's developed over many years, and Aranda has spoken publicly about his respect for Patterson in the past. 

"I also know, and this was prior to any of this conversation, this goes back two or three years ago, that Coach Patterson has great, great respect for Dave Aranda and who he is and how he does it. And I think that Coach Patterson is extremely genuine when he says he wants to help and be a resource for Dave." 

Patterson will serve officially as a senior consultant, per Rhoades. His job will include preparing for opponents and self-scouting the offense and defense. The role does prohibit Patterson from coaching directly or going on the road to recruit.

As for game days, what will the role entail, and could that possibility include seeing GP in Baylor gear on the sidelines? All of that remains unclear for now. 

"I think Dave certainly has given that a lot of thought, and he continues to do so. And, Dave, in the future, will speak more about that in detail."

The Bears open spring ball on March 19, so we'll hear from Aranda around that timeframe and get more details on this hire and numerous other topics. But Rhoades provided some extra clarity on one subject for anyone wondering. 

"I want to be clear that Dave is going to be running Dave's defense. And I think where Coach Patterson can be really helpful, he's an extremely creative mind. And, another set of eyes."

If some of you still can't fathom this partnership, it's understandable, given the boiling-hot temperatures the bad blood was reaching in this rivalry a decade ago. But the names and circumstances have changed dramatically since then. And let's not overlook that TCU first broke the ice of improbable hires, such as their current head of football performance, and especially their OC. 

The decision to bring Patterson on board wasn't taken lightly, per Rhoades. 

"We certainly went into this and gave it a lot of thought. Certainly thought about how would our former players, that were right in the thick and heat of that rivalry, how would they react?" he said. "And, I had an opportunity to visit with a couple, and they were extremely supportive and certainly had some other conversations with some appropriate people, just thinking about bringing Coach Patterson on board, and they were certainly extremely supportive."

Regardless of the recent lopsided results or various names involved, Bears-Frogs remains one of the sport's better and most bitter rivalries, which is partially why it's one of four protected Big 12 matchups moving forward. 

Now, the Bears must hope that not only Patterson's input but the litany of other changes made this offseason will pay off in the win column against the Frogs and everyone else for that matter, as Aranda contends with plenty of hot-seat discussions following results of the past two seasons. 

Rattling off the high points since last season's conclusion can take a while. Still, Rhoades did his best, highlighting the three on-field coaching hires, their successful retention of the current roster and recruiting class, and solid support staff additions, including but not limited to Gary Patterson, of all people. 

Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding, but the work continues, and the optimism is high. 

"I think Dave has executed all of that at an elite level. We've got to have a great offseason, a great spring, and then a great fall, and it needs to all translate into Ws on the field."