Gary Patterson is now a member of the Texas football staff months after his ouster from TCU, and Steve Sarkisian has shed more light on what Patterson's new role as the "Special Assistant to the Head Coach" will entail on the Forty Acres. Sarkisian, speaking with reporters Wednesday as part of National Signing Day, elaborated on the duties Patterson will have in an off-field position that Texas hopes will sharpen the rest of the Longhorns staff.

“Gary is going to offer the advice and what he thinks we can (or) should do, whether it’s personnel, whether it’s scheme, whether it’s game plan,” Sarkisian told reporters. “Ultimately, we as a staff have to choose to say this is what we’re going to do or we’re going to go in this direction. And that’s OK. Gary’s a great sounding board for all of us. He provides a wealth of experience and knowledge.”

With Patterson being a defensive-minded coach, Sarkisian said he expects Patterson to serve as a prime "sounding board" for second-year Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. The Texas defense was a unit that struggled in year one of the Sarkisian era, finishing ranked 100th in the FBS in total yards allowed as the Longhorns ended the year 5-7.