Photo Courtesy: Dominic Ceraldi
By Lew Patton
Longtime TCU defensive coordinator and Gary Patterson lieutenant Dick Bumpas will retire, FootballScoop reported late Wednesday night. The school later confirmed the move to ESPN’s Max Olson.
Bumpas retires as one of the most accomplished assistants in college football. He helped TCU lead the nation in total defense three times in his 11 seasons as defensive coordinator, and the 2014 Big 12 championship-winning edition led the nation in takeaways per game. In addition to winning a share of last year’s Big 12 crown, Bumpas helped the Frogs claim three Mountain West championships.
In nearly four full decades in coaching, Bumpas was a part of teams that won titles in four separate conferences. He also was named a finalist for the Broyles Award four times.
Before arriving in Fort Worth, Bumpas worked with Patterson at Kansas State, Tennessee Tech, Utah State and Navy. He also held experience at Army, Air Force, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Houston and Western Michigan.
Alongside his longtime boss, Bumpas helped turn TCU’s trademark 4-2-5 defense into one of college football’s most consistent units.
A timetable for naming Bumpas’ replacement has not been announced. FootballScoop reported that TCU was likely to find its new coordinator within the staff.
