Ohio State is finalizing a deal to make veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia the school’s new defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Wednesday.
The move to introduce Patricia will involve an internal promotion to the role of Co-Defense Coordinator for the corresponding secondary education supervisor Tim Walton, sources said. Ohio will also promote safety coach Matt Guerrieri to safe coordinators by source.
Patricia will be replacing Jim Knowles, who came to Ohio and left to work as Pennsylvania defensive coordinator after the Buckeyes’ 2024 national title.
At Patricia, the Buckeyes acquired a defensive play character from a veteran who worked as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots for six seasons from 2012 to 2017. Maintain their pressure with new coordinators.
He was the two defensive coordinator of the two Super Bowl wins in New England and was on staff as an offensive assistant for the 2004 Super Bowl title.
Patricia spent three seasons as the Detroit Lions head coach from 2018 to 2020, and was fired for her third season with a 13-29-1 record.
Walton’s promotion came after coming to Ohio from the NFL in 2022, coaching four teams from 2009 to 2021.
His new title nods to a strong second-round play at Ohio State under his watch. This is because the Buckeyes finished third in the yards allowed in 2024 and in the yards allowed in that category in 2023.
Gerrieri was Duke’s former co-prevention coordinator from 2018 to 2021 and Indiana’s co-defense coordinator in 2023.
They are all charged with taking over the state defense of Ohio. Ohio’s Defense will return three starters from the unit that finished first in the nation in national defense and scoring defense. Eight starting starters, including the entire defensive line, will make projects selected in the NFL Draft this spring.
Ohio State will return high-end talent, including Safety Caleb Downs, who will be projected as one of the top players in college football next year. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles is another top prospect, with senior cornerback Davison Igbinosun earning the All-Big Ten honor.
