The Ohio State Buckeyes are hiring a familiar football face in the National Football League to their coaching staff. According to the Associated Press on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are naming former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia of Sherrill, New York as their new defensive coordinator.
Patricia was not that very effective as a NFL head coach with the Lions from 2018 to 2020. He only had a record of 13 wins, 29 regulation losses and one tie for a winning percentage of .314.
Experience and success as a defensive coordinator
Patricia was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2012 to 2017. While having a top assistant job on a Patriots team coached by Bill Belichick, New England won the 2015 and 2017 Super Bowls. In 2015, the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, and in 2017, the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28.
Joined the Patriots in 2004
In addition to being the Patriots defensive coordinator, Patricia has held other roles with New England. He was their assistant offensive line coach (2004 and 2005), linebackers coach (2006 to 2010), safeties coach (2011), senior football advisor (2021 and 2022), and offensive line coach (2022). Patricia won another Super Bowl as the Patriots’s assistant offensive line coach in 2005. The Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. Speaking of the Eagles, it is in Philadelphia where Patricia had his last coaching job. He was the Eagles’s senior defensive assistant in 2023.
Who is Patricia replacing?
Patricia is replacing Jim Knowles of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Knowles is returning to his home state of Pennsylvania, to be the defensive coordinator of Penn State. He had been with Ohio State since 2022.
Reigning National Champion
The Buckeyes are the reigning College Football champion. This past January, they won their ninth national championship. They defeated the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the College Football Playoff National Championship game 34-23 from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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