Andre Patterson, whose four decades of coaching experience include 18 years in the NFL, is in his first season as the Giants' defensive line coach.
Patterson spent the previous eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings the first six as the team's defensive line coach. In 2020, Patterson added the titles of co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
He was previously the Vikings' defensive line coach in 1998-99. Patterson has coached at each level, working five years as a high school coach and 15 years in the collegiate ranks in addition to his long tenure in the NFL.
In his second stint with Minnesota (2014-21), Patterson helped the Vikings' defense lead the NFL in opposing third-down conversion percentage (35.9), tie for fourth in sacks (334) and rank third in rushing touchdowns allowed (91) and eighth in opponent yards-per-game (338.8).
Under Patterson's tutelage, Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen were among the most productive defensive ends in the NFL. Hunter recorded 48.0 sacks prior to turning 25 years of age, an NFL record since sacks became an official stat in 1982 and became the youngest player (25 years and 40 days) to eclipse 50.0 career sacks. He has 14.5 sacks and was a Pro Bowler in both 2018 and 2019 before being derailed by injuries the last two seasons. Griffen is a four-time Pro Bowler who is seventh in franchise history with 79.5 sacks.
The 2018 Vikings recorded 50 sacks, the third-highest total in franchise history. The defense set a franchise record with 10 sacks vs. Detroit on Nov. 4 and had sacks vs. Miami on Dec. 16.
The previous year, the Vikings finished first in the league in scoring and total defense, allowing just 15.8 points per game and 275.9 yards per game. Griffen was selected to his third Pro Bowl and defensive tackle Linval Joseph his second. Griffen began the year with a streak of eight straight games with a sack, tied for the longest streak to start a season in NFL history.
Before joining the Vikings for the second time, Patterson spent the 2013 season as the assistant head coach/defensive line coach at Florida International University.
From 2010-2012, Patterson served as the defensive coordinator at Texas-El Paso. His most successful season at UTEP was 2011, when the Miners recorded 10 more sacks than the previous year in one less game.
Patterson was the assistant head coach/defensive line coach from 2008-2009 at UNLV.
From 1997-2006, Patterson worked in the NFL, primarily as a defensive line coach. He joined Mike Shanahan's Broncos staff for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Patterson was a part of the 13-3 Broncos team in 2005 that reached the AFC Championship Game. Denver's plus-20 turnover differential was the NFL's second best.
In 2003 and 2004, Patterson was the Cleveland Browns D-line coach. From 2000-2002, Patterson held the same position with the Dallas Cowboys. From the 2000-01 seasons, Dallas' run defense improved from 32nd in the NFL to 13th.
Patterson's first stint in Minnesota was in the 1998-99 seasons. He coached the defensive line during the Vikings' 15-1 season in 1998, when they lost to Atlanta in the NFC Championship. The defense finished the season sixth in the league in points allowed.
Starting his NFL career in 1997, Patterson joined Pete Carroll and the New England Patriots as a defensive assistant. The Patriots won the AFC East title in his only season with the club.
His only stint as a collegiate head coach came at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo from 1994-96, when the team was 17-16. Patterson led his team to a league title in 1994 and was named American West Conference Coach of the Year. The 1994 season was Cal Poly's first in Division 1-AA.
Patterson was the D-line coach at Washington State in 1992-93 and at Cornell in 1990-91.
The 1990 Cornell team won the Ivy League Championship.
Patterson served as the defensive coordinator at Western Washington in 1989. The year before, he coached the defensive line at Weber State.
Patterson was the head coach as St. Monica (Calif.) High School in 1987. From 1983-86 he was the defensive coordinator at Renton High School in Washington. Patterson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Montana, in 1982.
A native of Richmond, Calif., Patterson and his wife, Donna, have a son, Andre, Jr. and a daughter, Ashmera. Patterson earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Montana in 1983. He played collegiately as an offensive lineman at Contra Costa College and Montana before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
In 2020, Patterson was inducted into the JFK High School Hall of Fame in his hometown of Richmond.
1982 University of Montana graduate assistant
1988 Weber State University defensive line
1989 Western Washington University defensive coordinator
1990-91 Cornell University defensive line
1992-93 Washington State University defensive line
1994-96 Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo head coach
1997 New England Patriots defensive assistant
1998-99 Minnesota Vikings defensive line
2000-02 Dallas Cowboys defensive line
2003-04 Cleveland Browns defensive line
2005-06 Denver Broncos defensive line
2008-09 University of Nevada, Las Vegas assistant head coach/defensive line
2010-12 University of Texas at El Paso defensive line
2013 Florida International University assistant head coach/defensive line
2014-19 Minnesota Vikings defensive line
2020-21 Minnesota Vikings defensive line/co-defensive coordinator/asst. head coach
2022 New York Giants defensive line
*Patterson was a high school coach from 1983-87.
