In a move that will likely make Michigan fans giddy, Matt Patricia is returning to the Midwest ... to coach at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes are "finalizing a deal" to hire Patricia as defensive coordinator, per Pete Thamel. Patricia has three Super Bowl rings from his tenure with the Patriots, but he's known around here for his disastrous stint as head coach of the Lions.
During a toxic three-year rein in Detroit, Patricia ran the team into the ground before being axed along with then-GM Bob Quinn the day after Thanksgiving in 2020.
Lions players were thrilled to see Patricia dismissed. They infamously toasted the end of his first season with mimosas in the locker room. The supposed defensive mastermind oversaw the worst defense in franchise history in his final season on the sidelines in Detroit.
Patricia naturally resurfaced with the Patriots a year later under Bill Belichick, before joining the Eagles as a defensive assistant in 2023. He briefly served as defensive play-caller for Philly toward the end of that season, but the unit did not improve under his watch. He was not brought back in 2024.
Now he's headed to Columbus, to join the reigning national champs under Ryan Day.
Patricia, 50, will replace Jim Knowles, who coordinated the top-ranked defense in the country last year before leaving for the same position at Penn State. Knowles had been defensive coordinator at Ohio State since 2022.