Matt Patricia is already an unwelcome face for a lot of Detroit Lions followers after his failed 2.5-year stint because the workforce’s head coach. Now, he’ll be including to his villain-like methods in Michigan: Pete Thamel is reporting that Patricia is taking a job with one of many greatest native rivals. Per Thamel, Patricia is anticipated to grow to be Ohio State’s subsequent defensive coordinator.
The Lions employed Patricia as their head coach in 2018, and he proceeded to go 13-29-1 earlier than getting fired halfway via his third yr with the workforce. Not solely did the Lions overlook any success below Patricia, however his brash teaching model clashed with gamers, forcing a commerce of Darius Slay and the exodus of a number of different gamers.
After his firing, Patricia went again to New England for a pair years earlier than spending a yr on the Eagles’ defensive teaching workers in 2023—solely to see Philly’s protection go from eighth in scoring protection to thirtieth that yr. In maybe no coincidence, the Eagles protection climbed again to greatest within the NFL this yr after they parted methods with Patricia and several other different members of the defensive teaching workers.
At Ohio State, Patricia will exchange Jim Knowles, who left the Buckeyes this offseason to grow to be Penn State’s subsequent defensive coordinator. He’ll attempt to assist Ohio State repeat as Nationwide Champions below head coach Ryan Day.
This might be Patricia’s first foray into faculty teaching since he was an offensive graduate assistant at Syracuse from 2001-03.
