Dave Patenaude

Dave Patenaude is in his third season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech.

Patenaude is a 29-year collegiate coaching veteran with 13 years of experience as an offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech (2019-pres.), Temple (2017-18), Coastal Carolina (2012-16), Georgetown (2010-11), Hofstra (2008-09) and Columbia (2001). He also served as head coach at New Haven for two seasons (2002-03).

In his two seasons at Temple, the Owls had two of the three highest single-season passing totals in school history. In 2018, TU boasted one of the top two rushers in the American Athletic Conference (Ryquell Armstrong – 109.8 ypg) and one of the top three receivers in the AAC  (Randle Jones – 19.35 ypr).

Patenaude and his wife, Christine, have two daughters: Eva and Estelle.

FULL BIOGRAPHY

A 29-year collegiate coaching veteran, Dave Patenaude is in his third season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech.

Given the monumental task of transitioning Georgia Tech’s offense from an option-based scheme to a pro-style, spread attack, Patenaude’s accomplishments in his first two seasons as the Yellow Jackets’ offensive coordinator have been remarkable.

Starting three true freshmen at pivotal positions (QB Jeff Sims, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and RT Jordan Williams), Georgia Tech’s offense took a huge leap in 2020. Most notably, the Yellow Jackets averaged 389.9 yards of total offense and 23.9 points per game, an increase of 103.6 yards and 7.2 points per game from the previous season.

Despite playing just 10 games, Tech posted 400 yards of offense six times last season, which was tied for its most 400-yard games in a season since 2014. The Jackets also eclipsed the 400-yard mark in four-consecutive games to open the season. Prior to last season, Tech had not had four-straight 400-yard games at any point of a season since 2014, to open a season since 2011 or to open a season versus all NCAA Division I-A/FBS opponents since 1999.

Directing Patenaude’s offense from behind center, Sims was one of college football’s most dynamic true freshmen in 2020. Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment was passing for at least 240 yards and rushing for at least 60 yards in a game on three separate occasions (in wins over Florida State and Louisville and a loss to UCF). Sims was one of only two signal-callers from a Power FIve conference to accomplish the feat three times (joining Texas’ Sam Ehlinger) and the only true freshman in the nation to do it even once.

Even in the first year of the massive offensive transition (2019), Patenaude’s offense had notable achievements, including quarterback James Graham tying Shawn Jones’ Georgia Tech freshman record (1989) with 12 touchdown passes and wide receiver Ahmarean Brown tying Calvin Johnson’s Georgia Tech freshman record (2007) with seven touchdown reception.

Under Patenaude, Georgia Tech has also developed two National Football League draft picks on the offensive side of the ball — tight end Tyler Davis in 2020 and wide receiver Jalen Camp in 2021. Prior to Patenaude’s arrival on The Flats, Tech had not had an offensive player selected in the NFL Draft since 2015.
Patenaude came to Georgia Tech from Temple, where he served as head coach Geoff Collins’ offensive coordinator for two seasons (2017-18).

Under Patenaude’s direction, Temple put together two of the three highest single-season passing totals in school history (3,273 yards in 2017, 3,297 yards in 2018) and ranked 23rd nationally in scoring offense in 2018. Individually, TU running back Ryquell Armstrong ranked third in the American Athletic Conference and 16th nationally in rushing (109.8 ypg) and wide receiver Randle Jones ranked third in the AAC and 15th nationally in yards per reception (19.35 avg.) in ’18. Armstrong went on to be selected in the fifth round of the 2019 National Football League Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prior to his successful two-year tenure at Temple, Patenaude spent five seasons as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Coastal Carolina. CCU set nearly every school record for offense during his five years with the Chanticleers, including single-season scoring, total offense, rushing yards and passing yards, while registering three 10-win seasons. Coastal Carolina also produced four finalists for the Walter Payton Award (NCAA Division I FCS Player of the Year) and three NFL draft picks (WR Matt Hazel, RB De’Angelo Henderson and RB Lorenzo Taliaferro) during Patenaude’s five years with the Chants.
Thirteen of Patenaude’s 29 years as a collegiate coach have been spent as an offensive coordinator, including each of the last 12 at Georgia Tech (2019), Temple (2017-18), Coastal Carolina (2012-16), Georgetown (2010-11), and Hofstra (2008-09). He also served as offensive coordinator for one season at Columbia (2001).

Patenaude’s career also includes two seasons as the head coach at the University of New Haven (2002-03), where he produced the program’s first NFL product in eight years (Phil Bogle) before the program was disbanded following the 2003 season. He has also served as an assistant coach at Hofstra (2007 – passing game coordinator/quarterbacks), Holy Cross (2004-05 – running backs; 2006 – wide receivers/special teams coordinator), Columbia (1998-1999 – wide receivers; 2000 – quarterbacks/wide receivers), Fordham (1994 – tight ends; 1995 – wide receivers; 1996-97 – quarterbacks/wide receivers), Springfield (Mass.) (1992-93 – running backs/wide receivers) and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1991 – running backs). He and Collins first coached together at Fordham in 1996, when Collins served as linebackers coach for the Rams.

Patenaude, 52, was a three-year starter at quarterback and free safety at Central Connecticut State. He graduated from CCSU in 1990 and earned a master’s from Springfield in 1993. He and his wife, Christine, have two daughters: Eva and Estelle.