News

President Hale and Athletic Director Dale Patterson introduced R. Clay Patterson as the new Golden Norse Football head coach. Patterson served the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for Trinity Valley Community College. He will officially join NEO on Jan. 1, 2016 and engage heavily in the early recruiting season. “We were looking to fill the position with a strong offensive mind who had experience competing at the national level,” said Dale Patterson, NEO athletic director. “Patterson is a former Norseman, so he understands the traditions here and he also did a fantastic job turning around the Trinity Valley Offense.”

Clay Patterson, nephew of Dale Patterson, compiled an impressive tenure with the Trinity Valley Cardinals. In 2013, C. Patterson took over the last ranked offense in the conference. By the end of the season, the Cardinals were ranked the number one offense and earned the number five spot in the nation. Over the past three years, his offense averaged 54 points per game, 656 yards per game, and produced five Division I quarterbacks. In 2012, the cardinals compiled at 12-0 regular season record and were the national runners-up. D. Patterson was impressed with C. Patterson’s offensive success in his short time at TVCC. “We needed a coach who was going to help us win games through offensive success. Patterson’s offense at TVCC broke the NJCAA record for total offense at almost 7,800 in a single season. That is the kind of success that we are excited to bring to the NEO program,” added D. Patterson. C. Patterson will officially begin recruiting on Jan. 1 before the student commitment date in February. For more information about the NEO Golden Norse Football program, contact Lisa Severe at lsevere@neo.edu.