New Contract Details Reveal Matt Patricia Is the Highest Paid Coordinator in CFB

Three-time Super Bowl champion and current Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is staying with the Buckeyes for the foreseeable future after a new contract was signed recently.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia hugs cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) during warm-ups prior to the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State losing defensive coordinator Matt Patricia after last season's impressive campaign seemed very likely. Patricia is someone with NFL credentials to support his recent success and NFL teams came ringing his phone number after Ohio State finished with a top-ranked defense in 2025.

Patricia never realistically considered leaving Ohio State for the NFL or any other college opportunities. Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork spoke recently about Patricia's extension and said, "He was always committed to staying here...I know his family loves it. His kids have fit in well."

We know he was originally set to make $2.5 million this upcoming season for his coaching services. The Buckeyes lost eight starters on the defensive end and it was Patricia's leadership that kept the defense strong. The Buckeyes clearly thought he deserved more in order to keep him around and they acted on that sentiment by giving him a new three-year contract.

Dec 6, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia looks on before the 2025 Big Ten championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Patricia set to make $3.75 million

Defense wins championships. Apparently they're very expensive as well.

Matt Patricia is set to make $1.25 million more than what his original contract would have paid him this season. Under the terms of his new contract with the Buckeyes, Patricia is set to make $3.75 million this season and he'll see a $100,000 increase in his salary heading into the 2027 season.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will make $3.75 million in 2026 – making him the highest-paid coordinator in college football – as part of a new three-year contract with Ohio State.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will make $1.5 million in 2026 and $2M in 2027.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) March 10, 2026

The Buckeyes are clearly a program that is more concerned about winning and less concerned about how much it cost to win. They're making their coaches feel welcomed and extremely valued. Patricia isn't the only coordinator on Ohio State's coaching staff being compensated nicely for his services.

Arthur Smith also set to be paid big

Coming into an college football coaching job with NFL head coaching experience means big bucks for that coach and his family. Bill Belichick received a five-year contract worth $50 million from the North Carolina Tar Heels without ever being the head coach or lead coordinator of a college football program. His six Super Bowl victories and ability to build teams earned him that job.

Like Belichick, new Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has very little college coaching experience. Smith was a Graduate Assistant at North Carolina in 2006 and he also spent a year on Ole Miss's coaching staff in 2010, but every other year of his coaching career has been inside an NFL building. Smith spent last season calling plays for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Smith will be paid $1.5 million this season to coach Buckeyes young quarterback Julian Sayin, star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and new wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. Smith will also see a big increase in his salary heading into the 2027 season where he'll be paid an extra $500,000.