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Ohio State football set to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator
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- Ohio State football set to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator
Ohio State is in the process of hiring Matt Patricia, a longtime assistant and head coach in the NFL, as its defensive coordinator, a source told The Dispatch.
Patricia, who was the Detroit Lions' coach from 2018-20 after more than a decade as an assistant with the New England Patriots , is to replace Jim Knowles, who left for the same role at Penn State last month following the Buckeyes ' national championship season.
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All but one of Patricia's 17 seasons as an assistant in the NFL were as part of legendary coach Bill Belichick's staffs in New England .
Jul 30, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots senior football advisor Matt Patricia walks to the practice field at the Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The 50-year-old Patricia began as Belichick's primary defensive play-caller in 2010 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012, helping them to two Super Bowls victories.
During his six seasons as defensive coordinator, the Patriots ranked 10thor better in points allowed. They gave up the fewest among in the league during the regular season in 2016 before making their Super Bowl run.
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Patricia was also an assistant offensive line coach in 2004 as the Patriots won the third of six Super Bowls under Belichick.
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He found little head-coaching success in Detroit, going 13-29-1 over a dismal tenure that led him to be fired during his third season, prompting a return to the Patriots. His short second stint in New England included handling offensive play-calling in 2022.
Ohio State: Buckeyes hire Matt Patricia: 5 things to know about Buckeyes new defensive coordinator
He was last an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and took over play-calling for the defense late in the year.
But neither Patricia nor Sean Desai returned as the Eagles collapsed down the stretch, losing six of their final seven games, including in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
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Patricia was out of coaching last year, working in media for a digital platform known as The 33rd Team and co-hosting a podcast with Belichick, who has since been hired as the head coach at North Carolina .
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Patricia, who last coached in college as a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 2003, will be tasked with spearheading a rebuild of a defense that was a linchpin for the Buckeyes ' championship run last season.
No other defense in major college football allowed fewer points or yards per game than Ohio State, the culmination of years-long effort led by Knowles who took over for Kerry Coombs in 2021.
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Along with Knowles' X's and O's savvy, the defense boasted a bevy of upperclassmen last fall that included star defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.
Mar 16, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and senior advisor Matt Patricia watch during Georgia Pro Day at William Porter Payne and Porter Otis Payne Indoor Athletic Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
But eight starters on defense were seniors, leaving their eligibility exhausted and a smaller nucleus for Patricia to inherit this year.
A group of three returning starters is led by star safety Caleb Downs , who was a unanimous All-American in his first season after transferring from Alabama , followed by linebacker Sonny Styles and cornerback Davison Igbinosun . Styles and Igbinosun are both seniors who put off leaving early for the NFL.
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There will be continuity elsewhere on staff.
As part of the restructuring of the defensive staff, secondary coach Tim Walton is to be promoted to a role as a co-coordinator and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri elevated to passing game coordinator.
Both of the assistants have coordinator experience. Walton was a defensive coordinator in the NFL in 2013 with the St. Louis Rams and at Memphis in 2008 and Miami in 2007. Guerrieri was the co-defensive coordinator Indiana in 2023 and at Duke in 2018-21.
The moves were made about a month before the Buckeyes return to practice.
Ohio State announced earlier this week that spring practices are scheduled to begin on March 17 and run through an April 12 spring showcase at Ohio Stadium.
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This story has been updated with new information.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com .
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Matt Patricia set to hired as Ohio State's new defensive coordinator
