Ohio State to Hire Former NFL Head Coach As New Defensive Coordinator

The former Detroit Lions coach will join the Buckeyes' coaching staff under Ryan Day.

Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia signals to the team during a game in 2020. / Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia is finalizing a deal to become Ohio State's new defensive coordinator under Ryan Day, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday.

Patricia will join the Buckeyes for the 2025 season in their pursuit to defend their national title win last month. Day received a seven-year contract extension from Ohio State after the win. Patricia will be replacing Jim Knowles, who recently accepted the DC position at Penn State.

Patricia didn't coach on any team during 2024 after he spent the '23 season working as a senior defensive assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles. He also hasn't coached on a college football team since he was a graduate assistant at Syracuse from 2001-03.

Sources: Ohio State is finalizing a deal to hire Matt Patricia as the school’s new defensive coordinator. Patricia was an NFL head coach with the Lions and longtime DC with the New England Patriots. pic.twitter.com/NdCTsCMVBz

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 12, 2025

Patricia has experience working as a defensive coordinator as he coached in this role for the New England Patriots from 2012-17. He won three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots during his tenure there.

His nearly three-year stint as the Lions head coach didn't go to plan as he posted a 13-29-1 overall record. The Lions finished fourth in the NFC North in both 2018 and '19, and he was fired in 2020 as the Lions were 4-7. He returned to the Patriots' staff the following two seasons as a senior football advisor.

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