Whoever said you can’t go home never met William Patterson. As a standout at Lawrence North and Indiana University, Patterson is a Lawrence Township guy through and through. So it should come as no surprise that Patterson is back in his old stomping grounds, having accepted the job of head coach at Lawrence Central after a successful run at Tech, where he was named the City Coach-of-the-Year for Indianapolis last season. Patterson told Sideline Prep Sports Report that his move back to Lawrence was “totally unexpected and another reminder not to put limits on the Man above.” “I’ve given a lot of sweat, blood and tears, and a lot more sweat to this township, so being back is special. I’d imagine it’s the same feeling Jim Harbaugh has at Michigan or Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern, being at a place that they essentially grew up in,” Patterson said. A season ago, Lawrence Central finished 2-8 overall and Patterson is the fifth coach since 2010.In 2010 and 2012, the Bears won state titles, but have not advanced out of the sectional round of the tournament since 2012. Despite that, there is no place Patterson would rather be. “Lawrence Central is a premier program in the state. It’s been a top 10 program in the state for the last 10 years or so, so I’m honored to have the opportunity to be here and compete at the highest level in the state in the MIC Conference weekly. Being one of two African-American head coaches on the 6A level, I just pray that I can bring an impact to those around me and young coaches in the profession. There’s no limit to what can be done with hard work and being faithful to your craft,” Patterson said. At Tech, Patterson went 1-9 in his first season at the helm in 2018 and improved to 5-5 last fall. “Being at Tech, I learned to love the process and trust the process. My goal there was to build the best football program in the state, no matter the circumstances,” Patterson told Sideline Prep Sports Report. He said that he learned a valuable lesson at Tech – the people around you make the difference. “I met some great football minds, some of the most knowledgeable coaches I know while at Tech. Not only from an X&O’s standpoint, I learned what a difference relationships make. I was named City Coach-of-the-Year because of the great staff I had built around me. Tech taught me to love what I do on another level. I believe that love is the best thing I can bring back to LC. I’m bringing back passion to the program. I came back to build a family atmosphere, came back to bring stability and consistency, and I came back because I want to be a champion,” Patterson said. And he came back to share his knowledge of the game and experiences he had while playing at Indiana University, with the Houston Texans and arena football. Patterson told Sideline Prep Sports Report that those experiences are what he coaches through. “Humbly, I’ve always been very passionate about what I do in my work habits towards the game, and it has carried over to coaching. I’m fortunate to be able to share the game and mentor through the blessing that football was for me. Once I realized that coaching was my purpose in life, everything fell in line for me. My players get to benefit from a harvest of a seed that was planted in me a long time ago, and that’s the way it should be,” Patterson said. While some coaches obsess over wins and losses and goals, Patterson is focused instead on “grinds.” “The word grind is an action and something that continually keeps us moving forward. My grind is for us to be a family. My grind is for us to believe in something greater than ourselves. My grind is for us to be really physical – really explosive and really physical. My grind is to build a perennial powerhouse football program that supports every phase of a player’s life molding their character, creating academic passion and instilling values that will help them become better people in the community. My grind is to teach these guys to love through the process. The wins will follow,” Patterson told Sideline Prep Sports Report.
- sidelineprepsports