‘It’s Go Time’
Jan 08, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Cory Patterson, who comes to Kansas State to serve as running backs coach after eight years of work at Power 4 schools, made his presence known before the native of St. Louis, Missouri, donned the Powercat quarter-zip for the first time.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to do something special here at K-State," Patterson said. "There's been a tradition of great running back play here, so we have to keep the party going!"
Ever-energetic, Patterson served as tight end coach at Illinois in 2018-20, and then as running backs coach in 2021-22. He then served as associate head coach and wide receivers coach at Purdue in 2023-24. Then he served as running backs coach at Oklahoma State in 2025.
His best running back is also his favorite. He coached Illinois' Chase Brown, a finalist for the 2022 Doak Walker Award, to 2,648 yards and 15 touchdowns over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Brown, who ranked third in the nation in averaging 136.9 rushing yards per game in 2022 and amassed a nation-leading 10 games with at least 100 yards on the ground, went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"Chase was willing to put in the work," Patterson said. "You always have a guy who has an elite trait. Chase is really fast. But Chase was a guy who realized he didn't know everything, and he would do everything you wanted."
Now Patterson has his eyes on K-State junior running back Joe Jackson, a 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, who darted, powered and sprinted for a K-State single-game record 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries at No. 12 Utah — topping Darren Sproles' school rushing record by one yard. Jackson's 236 rushing yards in the first half against the Utes were the most by a FBS player in a first half in the 2025 season.
"Joe is a dawg," Patterson said. "I like Joe."
"He's got a strong stiff arm," Patterson continued. "I've seen him put the wood on people a couple of times. I told him that the thing we're going to work on is getting into the open field and make some people miss. I want to see that out of him. I want to turn some of those 15-yard runs into 60-yard runs.
"He does phenomenal work, and he's a guy who can handle taking the ball 25 times. These days, it's hard to have a guy who can do that, but Joe can carry it 25 times, lather up and keep going. I'm excited to work with Joe."
Patterson spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his path to joining Collin Klein's first coaching staff and what exactly he brings to the table in coaching running backs, "who kind of make the game go."
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: Collin Klein announced your hiring as running backs coach for K-State football. In the news release you said, "There has been a tradition of great running back play here, so we have to keep the party going!" What's the sense of excitement you feel in being at K-State, working under Collin, and serving as running backs coach?
CORY PATTERSON: I just know, man, for a long time here there have been dudes who've been able to run the football. And I know you guys have done a phenomenal job doing that. For me, I want to continue doing that. I was looking for a coaching spot recently, just a spot that I knew was going to be a safe place where you have some time to really get it going. When this opportunity came, I thought, "This is the opportunity I've been looking for." I'd never been inside the building until today, and it's something guys are going to want to see. I'm just excited to get going. I'm ready to keep the party going, for real.
FRITCHEN: What do you think about when you see the football field?
PATTERSON: Man, listen, I'd never been inside the place until today, and I went in and the first thing I did was FaceTime my wife. I said, "You're not going to believe this." I had to show her what the inside of the stadium looked like from my office. Listen, it's go time around here. I'm excited about it.
FRITCHEN: When was the first time you spoke with Collin? How did this hiring at K-State come about?
PATTERSON: First time I ever met him was on the road recruiting. We had a lot of mutual friends, we just weren't ever together. A couple guys told him about me. I was super interested in the job, but I didn't know him well enough, so I didn't want to just call. I'm a little bit different than most people. I don't really mind going and getting what I want. I didn't have his number, so I called Trey Scott, the new K-State general manager, and I said, "Listen, I want this job." I had heard from the grapevine that they might've already offered it to somebody, but I wasn't sure. Trey said, "Hey, man, I appreciate how aggressive you are." He said he would talk to Coach about it. I talked to Trey the next day. I chased down the job a little bit, and Coach Klein did his homework and called a few people and then we had a conversation.
During the conversation, he was like, "I can see why people say what they do about you." He did his due diligence. I began getting phone calls from people who'd spoken to him. So, I thought maybe this thing was moving in the right direction. In my head, I was still like, "Don't get too happy." Then he called me on Christmas. We talked some more. We talked some ball. He said, "What's your reason for coming to K-State?" I said, "Listen, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know a ton about K-State. I know they ran the football in the past. I know they've had a lot of great coaches in the past. The one thing I've heard about you is you're a phenomenal dude, and phenomenal teacher, and I want to learn from you, and I want to work for you. I promise you if you give me this opportunity, I'm going to get busy for you."
He said, "All right, what would you think about…" and before he could say "job" I was driving. I didn't let him finish the sentence. I said, "I'm on my way. I'm coming." I drove from Oklahoma, about 3 ½ hours. I probably made it here in three. I said, "I'm on my way."
FRITCHEN: You said you don't know much about K-State, but when you think of K-State running backs, who are some of the outstanding K-State running backs you think about?
PATTERSON: The first one I think about is Deuce. He was super electric. He did a bunch in the run game and the pass game. I don't have the list with me, but I went back and looked them up, and I watched some film, and they did some phenomenal stuff with him. Deuce is the type of guy you want in the backfield — put him out as the slot receiver a little bit, and Deuce went in pass protection and threw it all in there. I'm looking for a couple guys willing to put their face in the thing but who can also do some electric things when the ball is out in the open field.
FRITCHEN: First thing that jumps out is that you coached Chase Brown. What made him so special?
PATTERSON: Chase was willing to put in the work. You always have a guy who has an elite trait. Chase is really fast. But Chase was a guy who realized he didn't know everything, and he would do everything you wanted. He did extra in the weight room. After practice, he'd get in there and work out after a 2 ½ hour practice. The one thing he developed so well was his vision. When I first got him, Chase would run into the back of the offensive line. One of the things we developed was you could see Chase change his cadence, and he could speed up when he needed to and slow down when he needed to in order to find those creases he needed to be in. That's something we did a really good job with in coaching Chase.
FRITCHEN: Aside from Illinois, you also coached running backs at Oklahoma State. What specifically do you enjoy about coaching the running back position?
PATTERSON: Running backs, in my opinion, they kind of make the game go. Receivers have to wait for the ball and hope the snap goes right and wait for the quarterback. There are so many things that can go wrong. At running back, you give them the ball, and it's their opportunity to do something. Somebody says that the offensive line makes the running back and some people say the running back makes the offensive line. I think it's a great mixture of both. We can speed the game up or slow the game down depending upon how we're running the football, but if you can run the ball and get downhill on people, that'll make the game go the way the coordinator wants it to go, if you can run the football.
FRITCHEN: Who are some of your favorite all-time running backs — college or pro?
PATTERSON: Barry Sanders, he has to be my first. The list is crazy. I'm always going to say Chase Brown because he's one of mine. I think Bijan Robinson is a phenomenal running back. For the younger guys, Christian McCaffery is phenomenal, and I kind of like guys like that. For me, it doesn't really matter the size, I just want a dawg who's going to play hard and give it up for the team. That's what the position represents. We don't need all the glory. In the league, you're not getting all the money, but as running backs, we can make the game go the way it needs to go. That's what I like about coaching the position because those guys have an attitude and want to put it into somebody's face. That's what I like about them.
FRITCHEN: K-State has a running back named Joe Jackson.
PATTERSON: Joe is a dawg. I like Joe. Joe can do a little bit of everything. We spoke a couple days after I got the job. I called him. He didn't answer. I texted him. He didn't respond. He called Jaron Tibbs, who I coached before. Jaron told Joe to call me back and that I was a real dude. So, we had a conversation, and I went to his house to see him. He's phenomenal. He's a great dude. I feel really good about that one. He can be a leader in that room and be a catalyst to push that room forward.
Joe talks about how he wants to work on falling forward a little bit more. You see Joe in between the tackles, and he can put his foot into the ground and get vertical right away. Joe is one of those guys that, in between the tackles, you don't see a lot of guys bringing him down. He's got a strong stiff arm. I've seen him put the wood on people a couple of times. I told him that the thing we're going to work on is getting into the open field and make some people miss. I want to see that out of him. I want to turn some of those 15-yard runs into 60-yard runs. He does phenomenal work, and he's a guy who can handle taking the ball 25 times. These days, it's hard to have a guy who can do that, but Joe can carry it 25 times, lather up and keep going. I'm excited to work with Joe.
FRITCHEN: When it shakes out, how many running backs do you think you might have in your room?
PATTERSON: I really don't, but they'll be ready to go.
FRITCHEN: It appears from coaching at Illinois, Purdue, Oklahoma State and now K-State that you have a strong footprint in the Midwest. What areas do you particularly enjoy on the recruiting trail? What makes a strong recruiter?
PATTERSON: For me, I can go anywhere. I really feel that way. I've signed dudes from Mississippi to Florida, and when I was at Illinois, I had St. Louis, Florida and Mississippi. It doesn't matter where you put me. You fly me to Boston, and I'm going to bring somebody back. I'm one of those guys. I really feel that way about myself. I don't need ties to that place. We're going to come back with something. I'm just ready to go get it. When I walked through this building for the first time — this is probably the most beautiful facility I've been able to be a part of. Listen, if you can't get a guy here, we have a problem. It's go time. I'm super ecstatic about this situation.
FRITCHEN: That first meeting with the running backs, what do you want to convey in that meeting?
PATTERSON: I started as a youth football coach. I learned a lot during that time. Youth football saved my life. I'm from a rough area. I think all those things still remain the same. I want a group that's able to be themselves. I feel that people, when you allow them to be themselves, you get the best out of that person. I want to help them become the best version of themselves, but I want everybody in the room to be themselves. I'm going to coach guys individually. It's not like everybody has to have the same step because we're all different a little bit. Now we're all going to be on the same accord, but I'm a firm believer that guys have to be themselves. That's the first thing we'll talk about: "I want you to be the best version of yourself, not come in here thinking you have to be a robot. Let's go do this. Let's go do something special together."
FRITCHEN: Having Collin at the controls, as he served as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M the past two seasons — how excited does that make you?
PATTERSON: That's the thing. That's the catalyst. I want to have the opportunity to be a part of that. In my opinion, he's the best play-caller in college football. For me to have the opportunity to be a part of that, it's really go time. When I say keep the party going, I mean that.
FRITCHEN: From that little boy growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, to where you sit today, what has Cory Patterson learned most about himself during his journey?
PATTERSON: Wow. That's a good question. I've learned so many different things. I've learned a lot of stuff. One of the biggest things I've learned is being myself. I had to learn how to be by myself a little bit because I'm one of those guys who feeds off other peoples' energy, and I love being around people with great energy, but at the time I felt like I needed to be alone a little bit. I had to really dig deep and have some time.
Sometimes you have to have some alone time for some growth and development for yourself. That's one of the things that's helped me in the last couple years of my life, as I take another step. I've always been big energy, but I drain myself so much, trying to give everybody else energy, that I didn't spend enough time on Cory Patterson. These past couple years have taught me a lot being by myself. I always tell people, "When you go to that dark place by yourself sometimes, you need to be able to come out of that." And I've done that. Now I'm here with this opportunity and want to do some special things with these guys.
Cory Patterson, who comes to Kansas State to serve as running backs coach after eight years of work at Power 4 schools, made his presence known before the native of St. Louis, Missouri, donned the Powercat quarter-zip for the first time.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to do something special here at K-State," Patterson said. "There's been a tradition of great running back play here, so we have to keep the party going!"
Ever-energetic, Patterson served as tight end coach at Illinois in 2018-20, and then as running backs coach in 2021-22. He then served as associate head coach and wide receivers coach at Purdue in 2023-24. Then he served as running backs coach at Oklahoma State in 2025.
His best running back is also his favorite. He coached Illinois' Chase Brown, a finalist for the 2022 Doak Walker Award, to 2,648 yards and 15 touchdowns over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Brown, who ranked third in the nation in averaging 136.9 rushing yards per game in 2022 and amassed a nation-leading 10 games with at least 100 yards on the ground, went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"Chase was willing to put in the work," Patterson said. "You always have a guy who has an elite trait. Chase is really fast. But Chase was a guy who realized he didn't know everything, and he would do everything you wanted."
Now Patterson has his eyes on K-State junior running back Joe Jackson, a 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, who darted, powered and sprinted for a K-State single-game record 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries at No. 12 Utah — topping Darren Sproles' school rushing record by one yard. Jackson's 236 rushing yards in the first half against the Utes were the most by a FBS player in a first half in the 2025 season.
"Joe is a dawg," Patterson said. "I like Joe."
"He's got a strong stiff arm," Patterson continued. "I've seen him put the wood on people a couple of times. I told him that the thing we're going to work on is getting into the open field and make some people miss. I want to see that out of him. I want to turn some of those 15-yard runs into 60-yard runs.
"He does phenomenal work, and he's a guy who can handle taking the ball 25 times. These days, it's hard to have a guy who can do that, but Joe can carry it 25 times, lather up and keep going. I'm excited to work with Joe."
Patterson spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his path to joining Collin Klein's first coaching staff and what exactly he brings to the table in coaching running backs, "who kind of make the game go."
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: Collin Klein announced your hiring as running backs coach for K-State football. In the news release you said, "There has been a tradition of great running back play here, so we have to keep the party going!" What's the sense of excitement you feel in being at K-State, working under Collin, and serving as running backs coach?
CORY PATTERSON: I just know, man, for a long time here there have been dudes who've been able to run the football. And I know you guys have done a phenomenal job doing that. For me, I want to continue doing that. I was looking for a coaching spot recently, just a spot that I knew was going to be a safe place where you have some time to really get it going. When this opportunity came, I thought, "This is the opportunity I've been looking for." I'd never been inside the building until today, and it's something guys are going to want to see. I'm just excited to get going. I'm ready to keep the party going, for real.
FRITCHEN: What do you think about when you see the football field?
PATTERSON: Man, listen, I'd never been inside the place until today, and I went in and the first thing I did was FaceTime my wife. I said, "You're not going to believe this." I had to show her what the inside of the stadium looked like from my office. Listen, it's go time around here. I'm excited about it.
FRITCHEN: When was the first time you spoke with Collin? How did this hiring at K-State come about?
PATTERSON: First time I ever met him was on the road recruiting. We had a lot of mutual friends, we just weren't ever together. A couple guys told him about me. I was super interested in the job, but I didn't know him well enough, so I didn't want to just call. I'm a little bit different than most people. I don't really mind going and getting what I want. I didn't have his number, so I called Trey Scott, the new K-State general manager, and I said, "Listen, I want this job." I had heard from the grapevine that they might've already offered it to somebody, but I wasn't sure. Trey said, "Hey, man, I appreciate how aggressive you are." He said he would talk to Coach about it. I talked to Trey the next day. I chased down the job a little bit, and Coach Klein did his homework and called a few people and then we had a conversation.
During the conversation, he was like, "I can see why people say what they do about you." He did his due diligence. I began getting phone calls from people who'd spoken to him. So, I thought maybe this thing was moving in the right direction. In my head, I was still like, "Don't get too happy." Then he called me on Christmas. We talked some more. We talked some ball. He said, "What's your reason for coming to K-State?" I said, "Listen, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know a ton about K-State. I know they ran the football in the past. I know they've had a lot of great coaches in the past. The one thing I've heard about you is you're a phenomenal dude, and phenomenal teacher, and I want to learn from you, and I want to work for you. I promise you if you give me this opportunity, I'm going to get busy for you."
He said, "All right, what would you think about…" and before he could say "job" I was driving. I didn't let him finish the sentence. I said, "I'm on my way. I'm coming." I drove from Oklahoma, about 3 ½ hours. I probably made it here in three. I said, "I'm on my way."
FRITCHEN: You said you don't know much about K-State, but when you think of K-State running backs, who are some of the outstanding K-State running backs you think about?
PATTERSON: The first one I think about is Deuce. He was super electric. He did a bunch in the run game and the pass game. I don't have the list with me, but I went back and looked them up, and I watched some film, and they did some phenomenal stuff with him. Deuce is the type of guy you want in the backfield — put him out as the slot receiver a little bit, and Deuce went in pass protection and threw it all in there. I'm looking for a couple guys willing to put their face in the thing but who can also do some electric things when the ball is out in the open field.
FRITCHEN: First thing that jumps out is that you coached Chase Brown. What made him so special?
PATTERSON: Chase was willing to put in the work. You always have a guy who has an elite trait. Chase is really fast. But Chase was a guy who realized he didn't know everything, and he would do everything you wanted. He did extra in the weight room. After practice, he'd get in there and work out after a 2 ½ hour practice. The one thing he developed so well was his vision. When I first got him, Chase would run into the back of the offensive line. One of the things we developed was you could see Chase change his cadence, and he could speed up when he needed to and slow down when he needed to in order to find those creases he needed to be in. That's something we did a really good job with in coaching Chase.
FRITCHEN: Aside from Illinois, you also coached running backs at Oklahoma State. What specifically do you enjoy about coaching the running back position?
PATTERSON: Running backs, in my opinion, they kind of make the game go. Receivers have to wait for the ball and hope the snap goes right and wait for the quarterback. There are so many things that can go wrong. At running back, you give them the ball, and it's their opportunity to do something. Somebody says that the offensive line makes the running back and some people say the running back makes the offensive line. I think it's a great mixture of both. We can speed the game up or slow the game down depending upon how we're running the football, but if you can run the ball and get downhill on people, that'll make the game go the way the coordinator wants it to go, if you can run the football.
FRITCHEN: Who are some of your favorite all-time running backs — college or pro?
PATTERSON: Barry Sanders, he has to be my first. The list is crazy. I'm always going to say Chase Brown because he's one of mine. I think Bijan Robinson is a phenomenal running back. For the younger guys, Christian McCaffery is phenomenal, and I kind of like guys like that. For me, it doesn't really matter the size, I just want a dawg who's going to play hard and give it up for the team. That's what the position represents. We don't need all the glory. In the league, you're not getting all the money, but as running backs, we can make the game go the way it needs to go. That's what I like about coaching the position because those guys have an attitude and want to put it into somebody's face. That's what I like about them.
FRITCHEN: K-State has a running back named Joe Jackson.
PATTERSON: Joe is a dawg. I like Joe. Joe can do a little bit of everything. We spoke a couple days after I got the job. I called him. He didn't answer. I texted him. He didn't respond. He called Jaron Tibbs, who I coached before. Jaron told Joe to call me back and that I was a real dude. So, we had a conversation, and I went to his house to see him. He's phenomenal. He's a great dude. I feel really good about that one. He can be a leader in that room and be a catalyst to push that room forward.
Joe talks about how he wants to work on falling forward a little bit more. You see Joe in between the tackles, and he can put his foot into the ground and get vertical right away. Joe is one of those guys that, in between the tackles, you don't see a lot of guys bringing him down. He's got a strong stiff arm. I've seen him put the wood on people a couple of times. I told him that the thing we're going to work on is getting into the open field and make some people miss. I want to see that out of him. I want to turn some of those 15-yard runs into 60-yard runs. He does phenomenal work, and he's a guy who can handle taking the ball 25 times. These days, it's hard to have a guy who can do that, but Joe can carry it 25 times, lather up and keep going. I'm excited to work with Joe.
FRITCHEN: When it shakes out, how many running backs do you think you might have in your room?
PATTERSON: I really don't, but they'll be ready to go.
FRITCHEN: It appears from coaching at Illinois, Purdue, Oklahoma State and now K-State that you have a strong footprint in the Midwest. What areas do you particularly enjoy on the recruiting trail? What makes a strong recruiter?
PATTERSON: For me, I can go anywhere. I really feel that way. I've signed dudes from Mississippi to Florida, and when I was at Illinois, I had St. Louis, Florida and Mississippi. It doesn't matter where you put me. You fly me to Boston, and I'm going to bring somebody back. I'm one of those guys. I really feel that way about myself. I don't need ties to that place. We're going to come back with something. I'm just ready to go get it. When I walked through this building for the first time — this is probably the most beautiful facility I've been able to be a part of. Listen, if you can't get a guy here, we have a problem. It's go time. I'm super ecstatic about this situation.
FRITCHEN: That first meeting with the running backs, what do you want to convey in that meeting?
PATTERSON: I started as a youth football coach. I learned a lot during that time. Youth football saved my life. I'm from a rough area. I think all those things still remain the same. I want a group that's able to be themselves. I feel that people, when you allow them to be themselves, you get the best out of that person. I want to help them become the best version of themselves, but I want everybody in the room to be themselves. I'm going to coach guys individually. It's not like everybody has to have the same step because we're all different a little bit. Now we're all going to be on the same accord, but I'm a firm believer that guys have to be themselves. That's the first thing we'll talk about: "I want you to be the best version of yourself, not come in here thinking you have to be a robot. Let's go do this. Let's go do something special together."
FRITCHEN: Having Collin at the controls, as he served as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M the past two seasons — how excited does that make you?
PATTERSON: That's the thing. That's the catalyst. I want to have the opportunity to be a part of that. In my opinion, he's the best play-caller in college football. For me to have the opportunity to be a part of that, it's really go time. When I say keep the party going, I mean that.
FRITCHEN: From that little boy growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, to where you sit today, what has Cory Patterson learned most about himself during his journey?
PATTERSON: Wow. That's a good question. I've learned so many different things. I've learned a lot of stuff. One of the biggest things I've learned is being myself. I had to learn how to be by myself a little bit because I'm one of those guys who feeds off other peoples' energy, and I love being around people with great energy, but at the time I felt like I needed to be alone a little bit. I had to really dig deep and have some time.
Sometimes you have to have some alone time for some growth and development for yourself. That's one of the things that's helped me in the last couple years of my life, as I take another step. I've always been big energy, but I drain myself so much, trying to give everybody else energy, that I didn't spend enough time on Cory Patterson. These past couple years have taught me a lot being by myself. I always tell people, "When you go to that dark place by yourself sometimes, you need to be able to come out of that." And I've done that. Now I'm here with this opportunity and want to do some special things with these guys.
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