IRVING, Texas – A pair of former Aggies have joined the ranks of some of the best in the history of college football, with Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Famer Chris Petersen and Gary Patterson both being named to the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2026.
 
"The legacy of coaching and leadership from the UC Davis tree can be seen all over the football world," said current head coach Tim Plough. "When someone refers to you as a "Davis Guy" you wear that as a badge of honor. You know that it means you're a part of something bigger than you.
 
"I have always had a great deal of respect and admiration for coach Patterson and coach Petersen has been instrumental in mentoring me in my coaching career. I'm excited to see them both recognized for their incredible careers."
 
Petersen came to Davis in 1985, spending his final two seasons under center for the Aggies. Once his playing career wrapped up, the eventual multi-Coach of the Year honoree then transitioned to the sideline where he begun his coaching career at Davis. From 1987-91, Petersen coached under College Football Hall of Famer Jim Sochor and Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Famer Bob Foster.
 
The Aggie quarterback would then go on to have tremendous success at Boise State and Washington, going 147-38 over 14 seasons at those two programs. During that stretch Petersen won 10 games or more ten times in all but four seasons led teams to seven conference titles, 14 bowl appearances and nine final AP Top 25 finishes, including three top five marks.
 
Patterson came to Davis early in his career, coaching the linebacker corps under coach Sochor in 1986. The lessons learned in Davis would eventually lead Patterson to Fort Worth, Texas and the TCU Horned Frogs where he would spend 22 years going 181-79 with 18 bowl appearances and a perfect 13-0 2010 season.
 
The Horned Frogs, led by Patterson, capped off their 2010 undefeated season by winning the 2011 Rose Bowl to go along with 11 bowl game victories that also included the 2010 Fiesta Bowl and 2024 Peach Bowl. Patterson also coached 21 First Team All-Americans and won six conference championships across three different conferences.
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.