Brian Patterson

2023 Inductee

What to say about Coach Brian Patterson. I’m sure that if I had an open mic, there would be countless stories of things he did or things he helped people with, and we would be here all night.

Brian played football as a WR, (Yes I know I was surprised as anyone about WR) at the University of North Alabama. He later went on to be in the Army National Guard. Many of us have heard countless stories about his adventures and know that the Army was near and dear to his heart.

After serving in the military, he went on to start a career in sales, first at Carpets of Dalton and later at Liberty National. However, as he told me many times, he disliked sales and looked to move from that as quickly as possible. Ever the showman, though, before he left the business world, he gained another wonderful story of his day when he wrestled a bear. Yes, a Bear!. During these years, he started getting the feeling that his true calling was teaching and coaching. He started off coaching at Dalton from 99-03 where he was fortunate to have coached his son Jake during his HS career.

Upon leaving Dalton, he began his school career here at Ridgeland on the original staff with Coach Mark Mariakis. I remember that first meeting as a staff member. Brian was working all night and coming in the summer for our meetings. Coach Mariakis was going over the information for us new coaches, and I looked over and saw that Brian was dead asleep. Go figure. Also, this year, if I’m not mistaken, was when we had a young WR and RB who became his projects: MIke Bowman and Terrell Freeman. These three became almost inseparable. The bantering and fun incurred from these three are stories of legend (you guys remember going to eat and being in the wreck). Then, there was the time when the food was being blessed at a pre-game meal with Coach Mariakis. Coach Patterson and Mike both saw a dessert they wanted and were caught arguing over it as the Prayer started.

Around this same time, he developed a bond that stood the test of time with Travis Allison. There was never a day go by that you didn’t see the two of them away from each other. It was a friendship that stood the test of time. Even to the point that Coach Patterson would send Travis to get him food at every concession stand during every game, but we won’t speak of that will we Travis.

During his 17 years at RHS, Brian was instrumental in starting the “Panther Girls' because he said he wanted to create an organization to get more people involved in the games at RHS. This organization, under his leadership, swelled to 150 young ladies, and he and others oversaw making signs and cheering on the RHS teams. His love for the students here at RHS was unwavering, and his passion for helping was unmatched.

During this time, he carried out both duties on the varsity level and oversaw the JV and freshman teams for every coach he worked for. This passion for young people made him loved and admired by countless young panthers that grew up to be adults under his ever-watchful eye.

I was fortunate enough to have him with me in my final years here at RHS and counted him as truly one of my closest and dearest friends. He always kept me grounded and never let me forget, even when the score or game didn’t go our way, what we were truly doing it for. The kids. He would always say we are here to love up on the kids and teach them how to become the Men of Tomorrow. Brian had a way of always making you smile even when you were upset at him or he had forgotten his wallet again for the hundredth time, and he had already ordered his food which you then had to pay for. It was during this final year I got to witness one of my Proudest moments when Brian and His son Jake got to be on the sidelines together both in Varsity and JV coaching and loving kids. They both told me later how much that meant to be able to be together and share this special time together.

On February 5th, 2022, we lost one of the true Champions for the kids at Ridgeland HS, but He lives on in the hearts and minds of the Panther Nation.

It is my profound HONOR and Privilege to introduce Coach Jake Patterson, Brian’s son, as we Induct Coach Brian Patterson into the Ridgeland Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

—Kip Klein, 2023