Much-Maligned Ex-Patriots Coach Reportedly Interviews For College Job

A few former New England Patriots coaches who weren’t on the sideline in 2024 made sure to get back into the profession this offseason.

Bill Belichick, of course, is the most notable of the bunch as he became the head coach at North Carolina. Josh McDaniels, who was without a coaching job this past season after being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders midway through the 2023 campaign, returned to the Patriots as Mike Vrabel’s offensive coordinator.

And another prominent coaching assistant during New England’s dynastic run might be closing in on a job as well.

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Tuesday that Matt Patricia had a meeting with Ohio State about its vacant defensive coordinator position. Jim Knowles held the position for the Buckeyes in their run to a national championship last season, but got pried away by Penn State this offseason.

Patricia, 50, hasn’t coached in college in over two decades when he was a graduate assistant for Syracuse. He certainly has the credentials for the job, but is still trying to bounce back from a couple of rough moments in his coaching career.

Patricia spent 16 seasons with the Patriots across two separate stints, including serving as Belichick’s defensive coordinator for six seasons. While Patricia helped the Patriots to two Super Bowl titles as a defensive coordinator, he is also known for the failed experiment that he took part in during his last season with New England in 2022. Belichick had Patricia become the team’s offensive play-caller, which went horribly as the offense struggled and Mac Jones significantly regressed.

Patricia also had a rough go of it in his lone time as a head coach, which came from 2018-2020 with the Detroit Lions. Patricia accumulated a 13-29-1 record over three seasons. He last coached in 2023 as a senior defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Patricia spent this past season co-starring alongside Belichick on the “Coach With Bill Belichick” show. It’s surprising that Patricia has yet to follow Belichick to North Carolina.

But perhaps Patricia still takes a page out of Belichick’s book and turns to the college ranks to get back into coaching.