Auburn coaching rumors: Gary Patterson reportedly has deal in place at TCU

TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who has been mentioned as a potential leading candidate for the Auburn head coaching vacancy, has reportedly agreed in principle to an extension with the Horned Frogs.

Rumors apparently began to crop up in Fort Worth over the weekend that Patterson and TCU were working on a deal, and according to Frogs o' War, SB Nation's TCU site, those rumors were confirmed Monday:

A short time ago, this rumor was confirmed by FWST TCU beat writer Stefan Stevenson over Twitter. No terms have been released, but it does appear that the handshake deal is in place.

Raises/extensions are pending for him/staff. No shock. RT @clreed87: Hopefully GP doesn't use that same quote anytime soon about UT over TCU

— Stefan Stevenson (@FollowtheFrogs) December 3, 2012

If the reports are true, Patterson is out of the running at Auburn. Honestly, it isn't surprising. Patterson is in his 12th season with the Horned Frogs, and he has led TCU to seven 10-plus win seasons and a Rose Bowl victory. The program has seen major facility upgrades and a rise from Conference USA to the Big 12 under Patterson's tenure, and with plenty of money in the alumni base, TCU was ready to match any monetary offer. Considering the fact that Patterson turned down an opportunity to take over at Kansas State, his alma mater, a few years ago, it seemed unlikely that he would jump ship for Auburn.

Auburn's coaching search appears to be in its waning moments, and a hire could be announced at any time. Although, it's still unclear who the leader for the job actually is.