How would things look in Knoxville if Tennessee had selected Gary Patterson instead of Lane Kiffin in 2009?

It appears Tennessee had a legitimate shot at luring Patterson away from TCU before hiring Kiffin. It is difficult to speculate what would have happened if Patterson wound up in Knoxville. However, Patterson has continued to post strong results with the Horned Frogs while Kiffin spent one season with the Vols before making stops at USC and Alabama before arriving at FAU this season.

Patterson did interview with the Vols, but it does not sound like it was a great experience for the coach. In a recent article by ESPN’s Chris Low, Patterson mentioned that he got the impression Tennessee did not believe he could handle big games and had already made a decision.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach shared a screenshot of the full comment from Patterson on Twitter:

Who knows what Tennessee or Nebraska may look like today if they had gone with Patterson. Either way, TCU is likely thankful that he has stuck around. Patterson has a 157-55 overall record with the Horned Frogs and has put the team in serious contention for the Playoff this season.