TCU News: Coach P calm? Horned Frogs’ veteran leader is taking the lead as president of AFCA.

Football:

TCU’s Gary Patterson has been calming presence amid coronavirus pandemic | The Star-Telegram

Calm and Coach P don’t normally go together, but one of the longest-tenure coaches in college football has been steadying the ship the last two months.

“I think the thing that’s got us through [the COVID-19 crisis] is Gary,” Kill said. “Coach Patterson — everybody looks at him as the high-strung this and that. He’s been very, very calm and works very hard in trying to see where this is all going to go. He’s the president of the AFCA. He’s handled everything really, really well as far as trying to keep us all staying positive. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

As of now, how football season plays out is anybody’s guess. Maybe it starts on time. Maybe it’s delayed a few weeks, or possibly pushed back to the spring. Maybe fans are allowed. Maybe they aren’t.

But, just like in games, Patterson and his staff have made adjustments on a seemingly daily basis. TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said he and Patterson are in constant communication with the latest developments amid the crisis.

TCU: How Jerry Kill’s role as ‘head coach of offense’ will work | Dave Campbell’s Texas Football

We went into this in-depth earlier in the week, but it appears Kill’s impact will be significant.

“I coach the coaches,” Kill said. “I watch the film with them, go over all the techniques, everything we’re doing. I can be there during game day, make recruiting suggestions. I can do anything off the field, and during practice, I can be on the field. You can coach a lot and not have to say anything.”

Kill and Patterson’s relationship goes back decades. Both are Kansas natives who played for Dennis Franchione – Patterson at Kansas State, Kill at Southwestern (Kan.) – and Kill even served as best man at Patterson’s wedding. Kill believes their close relationship gives him a unique ability to work with Patterson to fix TCU’s issues.

“We can talk in a different way because we go back so long,” Kill said. “There’s a deep amount of respect. I know him better than anyone in Fort Worth.”

Former TCU football walk-on’s spirit lives on through 9474 Foundation | The Star-Telegram

Phil had a massive impact in life, and is continuing to change lives even now that he has passed.

Knowing the financial concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, the foundation set a modest goal of $500 but received more than $2,200 in donations.

“The idea that so many people would reach out during such a difficult time with small gifts is really heartwarming,” said Bret Taylor, Phil’s father. “What we’ve tried to do with the foundation is make sure it’s not really about Phil’s memory, but more so continuing to bring those gifts that Phil brought to others — joy, faith and education. Those were really crucial to who he was.”

Mike Land, the foundation’s president and Phil’s uncle, said the organization has partnered with UT Southwestern’s young adult cancer support group to identify people who could use their help.

Most of the time a gift card for anything from food to school supplies is provided.

“Every dollar we take is put to good use,” Land said. “We find a young guy or gal who is battling cancer or recovering from it who needs our help.”

For his former teammates and family, the foundation is a welcomed avenue to keep Taylor’s spirit alive.

“Phil was always glowing with positivity,” Gray said. “He was such a fun loving person to be around — always encouraging, always motivating.”

Basketball:

TCU men’s basketball signee Miles named state’s top Class 5A player | The Star-Telegram

He’s going to be great in purple.

The state’s best Class 5A basketball player is headed to TCU next season.

Lancaster’s Mike Miles, a TCU signee, was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Class 5A Player of the Year on Monday.

Miles earned the recognition after helping the top-ranked Tigers to a 36-1 record as a senior and trip to the state tournament. He averaged 21.4 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. He’s regarded as a four-star prospect by ESPN.