Former Mean Green and NFL running back Patrick Cobbs, a member of the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame and the All-Century Football Team, was named running backs coach on Feb. 4, 2019.
Cobbs joined the Mean Green staff following five seasons as the running backs coach at Denton Ryan High School, and he learned under coaching legends Bill Belichick and Nick Saban during his six-year NFL career.
Cobbs was a four-year letterwinner at North Texas (2001-2005) and graduated as the program's all-time leading with 4,050 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. In 2003, Cobbs was the nation's leading rusher, posting 1,680 yards for a national-best average of 152.7 yards per game, and earned All-America and Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was part of four bowl teams with North Texas. Although his career record was eclipsed in 2011, he remains UNT's second-leading all-time rusher.
After graduating from UNT, the Shawnee, Oklahoma, native was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Later that season he joined the Miami Dolphins, where he spent six seasons and played in 54 games. Cobbs signed with the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2011 season but did not appear due to injury.
Cobbs earned two degrees at North Texas, a bachelor's in applied arts and science and a bachelor's in sociology.
In 2010, Cobbs was inducted into the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he was named to the North Texas All-Century Football Team. CBSSports.com named Cobbs to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team.
In his return to North Texas, Cobbs will oversee a group of backs that were paced last season by DeAndre Torrey. The Mississippi native was in his first season in Denton and averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns (18 total). Torrey, a second team all-conference performer, ranked seventh in FBS in total touchdowns.
Patrick and his wife Amanda have three children: Rush, Haylee & Dash.