David Bailiff is living proof that one can indeed go back home.

Bailiff, the defensive coordinator for the Frogs the last two seasons, is heading back to his alma mater after accepting the head coaching position at Texas State University last week.

“(TCU) was the greatest job in the greatest community I’ve ever coached in,” he said. “We weren’t looking for a head coaching position even a little bit. It was just one of those situations where my phone rang and it was something I had to consider. There just aren’t a lot of head coaching jobs in the country, so when it’s offered you have to consider it.”

Bailiff said he and his family have nothing but gratitude for the entire TCU community.

“We love TCU,” Bailiff said. “From the university to the community to the team, it was a great experience.” 

Head coach Gary Patterson said Bailiff is more than ready to run his own football program. 

“He is a very good defensive line coach and a great recruiter,” Patterson said. “That is why he has been given this tremendous chance. He has all the attributes to be (a head coach) or else teams wouldn’t have been interested in him. It’s rare to have this opportunity and he deserves it.”

Patterson said no replacement has been named for the defensive coordinator position but that regardless of who takes over, the players are expected to perform at their expected levels.

“It all comes down to what the players know, not what the coach knows,” he said. “I doubt there will be any sort of learning curve for the players with a new coordinator.”

Sophomore defensive tackle Jeremy Breedlove said no matter who becomes the new defensive coordinator, the system will remain the same.

“The defensive scheme we run is coach Patterson’s,” Breedlove said. “The new coach will have to learn his scheme. It won’t change here unless coach Patterson were to leave.”

Tony Brubaker, TSU’s assistant athletics director of media relations, said TCU’s loss will benefit the Bobcats’ football program.

“He is a wonderful choice,” Brubaker said. “David Bailiff was a favorite coach while he was here as an assistant and that will continue here again. He is very popular and a community favorite. They all love him here.”

Brubaker said the Bobcats were determined to hire Bailiff as the program’s 14th head coach once the university officially announced the firing of Manny Matsak, who coached TSU since December 2002.

“He was our number one choice during the whole process,” he said. “There were some negotiations, but he was the number one choice the whole time. That fact never wavered, not even once. And now we can all just cherish the fact that we were able to bring him back home.”

Bailiff said the Bobcats’ recent commitment to their football program was the overriding element in him accepting the head coaching position. 

“The president and the entire university have taken great steps to turn this football program around,” he said. “That alone excites me.”

Brubaker said he does not believe Bailiff will be under any great pressure to turn the Bobcats’ football program around, despite the challenge of returning to his alma mater.

“I believe that no one puts more pressure on a coach than the coach himself,” he said. “The only pressure he will be under here is the pressure that he will put on himself.”