In eight seasons, Pat Bastien has received a doctorate degree in coaching, staff building, and developing high-end talent, working for successful head coaches at winning programs.
He has been a defensive graduate assistant, coached linebackers and cornerbacks, and served as assistant director of player development. The 30-year-old brings that knowledge to Toledo, where he will coach linebackers.
“As far as the coaching staff and the way it’s built, it all starts with coach [Jason] Candle, obviously. His connections and his background was appealing to me,” Bastien said. “Coach [Vince] Kehres, it’s a championship-level proven track record. Coach [Craig] Kuligowski, that’s a high-profile name in college football. I felt that the best growth for me personally was getting linked up with these guys. Watching them on film, it was trending up.”
Bastien’s assessment is accurate, as Toledo’s defense has ranked 36th nationally in the two seasons since Kehres and Kuligowski came aboard, up from 123rd and 93rd in the preceding two seasons. Bastien is filling a vacancy created by former defensive line coach Larry Black’s move to Vanderbilt. Kuligowski will coach the defensive line.
UT is another step on Bastien’s endless journey of consuming the game of football. The Florida native was a standout linebacker at UAB, a three-year starter and senior captain for the Blazers, before embarking on a coaching career that has mostly been spent in the South. Bastien has been at Central Florida (2014-15), Georgia Southern (2016-17), Southern (2018), Georgia (2018-19), Marshall (2020), and Western Kentucky (2021).
“Coach Bastien is a great guy,” UT linebacker Dan Bolden said. “He holds everybody accountable. He sets the standard and holds everybody to that standard. He’s a really high-energy guy that keeps everybody going all the time. He fits in with everybody else on the staff. He’s a great coach to play for because he genuinely cares about the game, loves the game, loves working with us. He makes sure we’re put in the best position to make plays.”
UCF had the fifth-ranked total defense, No. 6 rush defense, and the Knights were ninth in points allowed in 2014. Georgia Southern linebacker Ukeme Eligwe was a member of the Sun Belt’s all-newcomer team and fifth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. At Georgia, Bastien was part of the staff that recruited current Toledo wide receiver Matt Landers. The Bulldogs played in back-to-back Sugar Bowls during Bastien’s two seasons.
The 2020 Marshall defense, with Bastien as cornerbacks coach, led the country in fewest points allowed (13.0 points per game), ranked second in total defense (279.4 yards), fourth in rush defense (95.5 yards), and 11th in pass defense (183.9 yards). Cornerback Steven Gilmore was selected first-team All-Conference USA after recording 39 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
“Pat is an outstanding teacher and brings a lot of football knowledge to our program,” Candle said. “He’s been a part of some great defensive staffs. They had the No. 1 defense in the country when he was at Marshall, and he learned a lot under coach [Kirby] Smart at Georgia when he was there. Those experiences are invaluable when it comes to the schematics of things on the chalkboard. Then you want to make it come to life in your relationships, and I think Pat really understands that part of it.”
This isn’t a job hopper who goes from program to program without the intention of soaking up lessons from each stop. There’s a reason Bastien appeared on 247Sports’ 30 under 30 list in 2017.
How does Toledo fit into the picture? Because the Rockets have coaches that attract talent and players who are eager to learn.
“It’s been really good,” Bastien said. “I like the fact that I was able to jump right into spring ball and get the ball rolling on building relationships with the guys, talking to their families, and jelling with our staff here. It’s been exciting starting that process.”
He arrived not knowing a whole lot about Toledo’s history, but Bastien has already spent time in five different conferences, giving him a unique perspective on playing styles and what it takes to succeed. The culture inside UT’s locker room was a plus, as Bastien encountered players wanting to be challenged.
“I like what I see,” he said. “But as far as my messaging to the team, I’m going to continue to push them. I never want us to walk in here and be content and rest on our improvement. Every single day, it starts with coach Kehres and works its way down. It’s, how can we challenge these guys to give us even more? I think everybody has one or two things they can improve on. The consistent improvement is what I’m trying to get out of them.”
The linebacking corps, once a black hole on a dreadful defense, is a unit brimming with depth and playmakers on a defense that has become a hallmark of the team. The quarterback position and offense will factor into Toledo’s record this season, and so too will what’s viewed as the Mid-American Conference’s best defense.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s about schematics. I think it’s more about the heart piece,” Bastien said. “It’s about playing hard, playing with fanatical effort, and playing with a great amount of toughness. That’s where champions come from, high-level players playing at a high level.”
First Published April 20, 2022, 2:15 p.m.
