Position: Defensive line coach High school: Camden (AR) Fairview | Place of birth: Camden, Arkansas | |
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Date of birth: (1960-06-12) June 12, 1960 (age 56) College Montana Grizzlies football | ||
Andre Patterson (born June 12, 1960) is an American football coach who is the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously been a defensive line coach for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots.
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College career
Patterson started his college football playing career at Contra Costa College from 1978-1980 as a defensive lineman. He then transferred to the University of Montana in 1981 before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Patterson graduated from Montana in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in secondary education.
High school and college
Patterson started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Montana. He then became a head coach at Renton High School from 1983-1986 and Saint Monica Catholic High School in 1987, where he also coached the varsity baseball team. He returned to the college football level in 1989 with Western Michigan as a defensive coordinator. Patterson remained as a college football coach on defense with several different teams until 1997 when he received his first opportunity to coach in the NFL.
NFL
In 1997, New England Patriots head coach Pete Carroll brought Patterson in to be the defensive line coach. Patterson then became a defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos.
Return to high school level
In 2007, Patterson returned to coaching high school football, becoming the offensive line coach at Regis Jesuit High School, where his son was an incoming freshman.
Return to collegiate level
Patterson became an assistant head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas from 2008-2009. He became the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at the University of Texas in El Paso from 2010-2012. His most recent college football stint was with Florida International in 2013 as an assistant head coach and defensive line coach.
Return to the NFL
In 2014, Patterson returned to the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL as the defensive line coach under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer. Patterson lead a strong defensive line in 2015, when the Vikings won their first NFC North Division Title since 2009, they allowed the 5th fewest points on defense.
Personal life
Andre Patterson is married to his wife, Donna. They have two children: Andre Jr. and Ashmera.