Cory Patterson knows how to recruit. He’s always been good at it. He’s been doing it for as long as he’s been a football coach, but the Illinois running backs coach wants to be known as more than a recruiter.

In 2018 Patterson was hired by former Illinois Head Coach Lovie Smith to coach his tight ends. In less than 10 years, Patterson had gone from an assistant coach at Christian Brothers College High School to a head coach at Trinity Catholic in St. Louis all the way to the Big Ten.

Patterson quickly became one of Smith’s best recruiters.

He used relationships with many of his former Trinity Catholic players to bring them to Champaign including recently turned wide receiver Isaiah Williams, linebacker Shammond Cooper, slot wide receiver James Frenchie and running back Reggie Love.

Patterson helped Illinois land other targets too since he was brought on staff.

He was the only assistant coach from Smith’s staff that Bielema decided to retain. With spring football completed, Patterson says that his knowledge of football has grown immensely in the last three months.

“I’ve probably learned more in the last couple of months with Coach B than I have in the last three years,” Patterson said.

Patterson credits Bielema’s “Football 101” as a reason for his increased knowledge of football, and he says that he takes notes as if he was a player.

“I’m in the full team meetings and I’m taking notes like I’m playing,” Patterson said. “I can go back and look at my notes that I’ve gathered.”

“It sounds crazy, it’s for the players, but I’ve probably learned more than them. Also, learning how to be a great coach and learning to focus on the right things.”

Despite being retained on Bielema’s staff, Patterson’s role on the staff did change. Under Smith, he coached the tight ends. Now, he’s working with the running backs. Patterson’s previous coaching experience in high school.

“This is my first year with the running backs, I’ve coached every position on the field as a high school coach, now it’s about learning the small things.”

Patterson’s move to the running backs room came during a time when he was surrounded by completely new people from the top down. Outside of a few recruiting staffers and equipment room officials, Patterson is surrounded by a completely new ecosystem of people.

“The part I have been impressed with, switching to the running back position, is the daily detail,” Bielema said of Patterson’s move. “I literally got a printout in my box every day of what his intention or goal was for the running backs was that day in the individual period. We would watch them, observe them just a lot of detail to that. I think he was learning how to coach the running backs, but also learning a new offense around a group of people he’s never been around before.”

The daily printouts are just a small example of Patterson’s work ethic. Bielema said that Patterson is consistently one of the first people inside the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center and one of the last to leave. Bielema continued to say that even after-hours Patterson is sending him recruiting updates through the night.

“CP has a high work ethic, high energy,” Bielema said. “A lot of time when you bring coaches in from all over the country, they are coming without their families. They work long hours. Come early morning, stay late. He was here as early as anybody and here as late. I would get updates on recruiting all night long. His work ethic is outstanding.”

Patterson wants to be known as more than a recruiter. He makes that clear, but he is still one of the coaching staff’s best and with a more energized coaching staff Patterson has more help trying to build relationships than he did previously.

“We’ve been doing a great job of that, building relationships again,” Patterson said. “I don’t think people were negative about Illinois before. It was just cultivating those relationships and being able to build on them. I think Coach B, first of all as a leader, helps us do that. Everybody is working their tails off.”

It’s showing in the numbers too. Illinois is up to eight commitments in the Class of 2022, which is more than any other team in the Big Ten West. The eight commitments are lightyears ahead of where Illinois’ recruiting classes stood early in the cycle under Smith.

“I mean it’s rolling,” Patterson said. “Everybody is working, everybody is grinding. It’s an amazing feeling to see how much work goes on every day as far as recruiting goes.”

Patterson is entering his fourth season as a college assistant coach. He knows he hasn’t been perfect and if he could give a younger version of himself advice it would be to be patient and not to force things.

“Be patient,” he said. “Take your time. Focus, you can narrow your scope a little bit and then let it grow and things will work out.”

Bielema took a chance on Patterson keeping him on staff. All Patterson wants to do now is prove his head coach right for retaining him as a recruiter, but more importantly to Patterson as a coach.

“I’m going to grind my butt off and prove to him that he did the right thing on the field and off the field,” Patterson said. “I do want to be known as more than just a recruiter, I want to be a coach too.”