Keith Patterson

Title

Head Football Coach

COACHING ACCOLADES

2022 WAC Coach of the Year
2024 UAC Coach of the Year
2024 UAC Champions
Two-time finalist for Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year)
28 All-Conference Players
5 All-America Players
35 Academic All-WAC Selections
11 CSC Academic All-District Selections
1 CSC Academic All-America Selection

Keith Patterson was named ACU's 21st head football coach on Dec. 6, 2021.

ACU (2022-Present)

Keith Patterson enters his fourth season in 2025 as the Wildcats' head football coach. He has led ACU to play for two conference championships, winning the 2024 United Athletic Conference title, and taken the program to heights never achieved in the Division I era.

Patterson has won two conference coach of the year awards, and coached 19 all-conference players, and five All-America players. He led the Wildcats to their first appearance in the FCS Playoffs in 2024 with a first round victory over Northern Arizona.

In the classroom, Patterson has coached 35 Academic All-WAC selections, 11 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees and one CSC Academic All-American.

2024: The Wildcats enjoyed their best season in their Division I era (since 2013) with a 9-5 overall record (7-1 in conference), a United Athletic Conference Championship and a trip to the FCS Playoffs. ACU, which was picked sixth in the preseason coaches poll, defeated rival Tarleton State in the final seconds to claim the UAC title on Nov. 16. It was the Wildcats' first conference championship since winning the Division II Lone Star Conference in 2010.

ACU earned an automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs and, as the No. 15 seed, was selected to host No. 17 Northern Arizona. The Wildcats thrashed the Lumberjacks, winning 24-0 and advancing to the second round where they held a 17-3 lead over eventual national champion North Dakota State before losing, 51-31.

Patterson's squad started the season with a 52-51 near-upset of Texas Tech in overtime. ACU defeated No. 5 Central Arkansas at home on Oct. 5, its first win over a ranked opponent in six years, and first versus a top 5 ranked team since 2009.

The Wildcat offense ranked fourth in the FCS in yards per game (470), seventh in passing yards per game (304), and 16th in points per game (34). ACU led the UAC with 14 all-conference selections by 13 different players, and five players were named to All-America teams. ACU was one of six schools to have a finalist for each of the FCS' national offensive player, defensive player and coach of the year awards.

The Wildcats finished No. 14 in the final polls of the season.

2023: ACU compiled a 5-6 record, including a 3-3 mark in UAC action, and went 5-4 against FCS competition. The Wildcats were one extra point from a tie for second place in the conference. ACU sported some of the best special teams in the UAC with All-American kicker Kyle Ramsey converting on 14-of-15 field goals, and All-UAC punter leading the league in net average.

ACU was near the top of the conference in allowing the fewest sacks, and intercepting passes on defense. The veteran offensive line gave up 13 sacks on the year, and the defense intercepted 12 passes (both statistics were second-best in the UAC).

2022: In Patterson's first season as head coach, the Wildcats posted a 7-4 record, their first winning mark since 2018 and the most victories of the Division I era to that point. ACU finished 3-1 in the WAC, and played for the league title in the regular season finale against Stephen F. Austin.

The Wildcats began the season with a 4-1 record, their best start since 2011. Patterson was named the WAC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the top FCS head coach. Nine players were voted all-conference.

Year	Overall		Conference			Notable
2022	7-4	.636	3-1	.750	2nd	Played for WAC Championship
2023	5-6	.454	3-3	.500	6th
2024	9-5	.643	7-1	.875	1st	UAC Champions Reached FCS Playoffs 2nd Round
TOTAL	21-15	.583	13-5	.722

ASSISTANT COACHING CAREER

Patterson's experience includes 13 years leading some of the nation's top defenses at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The FBS teams he coached qualified for bowl games in 13 of his 19 seasons.

In 2019, Patterson was hired at Texas Tech by then-head coach Matt Wells. The two worked together at Utah State University in 2018. Prior to Utah State, Patterson spent four seasons at Arizona State University, following two years at West Virginia University. His move to Texas Tech with Wells marked their third time to work together; both were also on staff at the University of Tulsa from 2003-06.

From 2018-20, Patterson's defenders created 61 takeaways, a mark tied for eighth best in the nation and tops in the Big 12 during that span. During his first season in Lubbock, the Red Raiders created 19 takeaways, ranking third in the Big 12 and 17th in the nation for interceptions with 14.

In 2018, Patterson helped Utah State lead the nation in interceptions and share the FBS lead with 32 forced turnovers while finishing 11-2 to match the most wins in program history. Utah State also led the nation in interceptions (22) and three-and-outs forced (5.7 per game), and ranked third in defensive touchdowns (six). The success launched the Aggies into a No. 22 final ranking in the Associated Press poll.

At Arizona State, Patterson served three seasons as defensive coordinator and one as linebackers coach and defensive special teams coordinator. He quickly transformed ASU into one of the most opportunistic units in the nation. The Sun Devils ended his first year on staff ranked sixth in the FBS for turnover margin at plus-14 and also led the Pac-12 with 14 interceptions. Arizona State was 29th in the nation for interceptions that year and among the top-25 units for sacks (13th), fumbles recovered (18th) and red-zone defense (23rd). ASU won 28 games and played in three bowl games during Patterson's tenure in Tempe, highlighted by a 10-win campaign and victory in the Sun Bowl in 2014.

Prior to Arizona State, Patterson spent two seasons at West Virginia where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2013 and the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2012.

Patterson moved to West Virginia from its former Big East Conference rival Pittsburgh, where he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2011. The Panthers averaged 3.31 sacks per game (third best nationally) and totaled 98.0 tackles for a loss (12th best). Patterson was named Pittsburgh's interim head coach following the regular season, leading the Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl. He is 1-1 in his FBS career as an interim head coach after helping the Red Raiders close the 2020 season with a 16-13 victory over Kansas.

From 2003-10, Patterson served at the University of Tulsa as linebackers coach (2003-05) and co-defensive coordinator (2006-10). Tulsa played in six bowl games during Patterson's tenure, which was capped by three 10-win campaigns in his final four seasons. The Golden Hurricane were 10-3 in 2010, when his defense led the nation with 24 interceptions and ranked third in forced turnovers.

Prior to joining the staff at Tulsa, Patterson had 16 years coaching experience at Allen (Texas) High School, along with Oklahoma high schools in Ardmore, Edmond (Santa Fe and Memorial) and Altus. As the head coach at Ardmore High School, Patterson led his team to the District 5A-1 championship in 1999 and earned District Coach of the Year honors.

A native of Marlow, Oklahoma, Patterson earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation from East Central (Oklahoma) University in 1986. He was a four-year letterman at defensive back for ECU and later served his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. He earned his master's degree in kinesiology and sport studies in 2003 from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Patterson and his wife, Melissa, have three daughters and one son.

Patterson's Coaching Career
2022-present – Abilene Christian head coach, 7-4
2019-21 – Texas Tech, defensive coordinator
2018 – Utah State, defensive coordinator
2017 – Arizona State, assistant coach – linebackers, defensive special teams
2014-16 – Arizona State, defensive coordinator
2012-13 – West Virginia, defensive coordinator
2011 – Pittsburgh, defensive coordinator and interim head coach
2006-10 – Tulsa, co-defensive coordinator
2003-05 – Tulsa, assistant coach – linebackers
2000-02 – Allen (Texas) High School, assistant coach
1997-99 – Ardmore (Okla.) High School, head coach
1995-96 – Allen (Texas) High School, assistant coach
1994 – Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe High School, head coach
1992-93 – Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe High School, assistant coach
1988-91 – Altus (Okla.) High School, assistant coach
1986 – East Central (Okla.) University, graduate assistant

Patterson's FBS Bowl Experience as a Coach
2021 – Liberty Bowl
2018 – New Mexico Bowl
2017 – Sun Bowl
2015 – Cactus Bowl
2014 – Sun Bowl
2012 – Pinstripe Bowl
2011 – BBVA Compass Bowl
2010 – Hawai'i Bowl
2008 – GMAC Bowl
2007 – GMAC Bowl
2006 – Armed Forces Bowl
2005 – Liberty Bowl
2003 – Humanitarian Bowl