Ohio State Buckeyes Reuniting With Former Defensive Assistant Coach

The Ohio State Buckeyes are bringing in a familiar face to help them on the defensive side of the ball in 2025.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day during practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A familiar face is coming back to Columbus to help Ryan Day and new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia take a run at back-to-back College Football Playoff Championships.

It's being reported by Spencer Holbrook of Letterman Row that former defensive assistant Miguel Patrick is re-joining the Buckeyes staff.

Patrick was a defensive quality control coach for the Buckeyes in 2022 when they reached the CFP but lost to Georgia in an instant classic in the semifinal game at the Peach Bowl. Georgia went on to beat TCU in the National Championship Game that season by a score of 65-7, so Ohio State's 42-41 loss to the Bulldogs was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Patrick joined Trent Dilfer's staff at UAB in December of 2022 and he spent the past two seasons as the Blazers' defensive line coach. Though Dilfer decided not to bring Patrick back for 2025, he did do good work with UAB's defensive line. The Blazers notched 45 sacks and 98 tackles for loss over the last two seasons.

Though Patrick is taking a bit of a "step back" going from defensive line coach back to being a defensive quality control coach for the Buckeyes, he does appear to be the type of coach who has the right "stuff" to rise up the ranks now that he's back in Columbus.

He played linebacker at Alabama State (graduating in 2006) and then spent time as one of the top head coaches in the state of Georgia before jumping to the college ranks.

He led Ellenwood Cedar Grove to a state title in his first season as head coach there in 2019, and that came after he was the defensive coordinator for state title runs in 2016 and 2018. He was also the head coach at Crisp County High school in 202, where he went 9-4 and took his team to the state quarterfinals.