Ohio State is finalizing a deal to make veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia the varsity’s new defensive coordinator, sources informed ESPN on Wednesday.
The transfer to herald Patricia comes with the corresponding inner promotion of secondary coach Tim Walton to the co-defensive coordinator position, sources mentioned. Ohio State may even be selling safeties coach Matt Guerrieri to pass-game coordinator, per sources.
Patricia involves Ohio State to interchange Jim Knowles, who left for Penn State‘s defensive coordinator job in the wake of the Buckeyes’ 2024 nationwide title.
In Patricia, the Buckeyes get a veteran defensive playcaller who labored because the New England Patriots‘ defensive coordinator for six seasons from 2012 to 2017. He started calling defensive performs with out the official title in 2010, which was a tool Invoice Belichick used to interrupt in new coordinators and hold stress off them.
He was the defensive coordinator for 2 of New England’s Tremendous Bowl wins and was on employees as an offensive assistant for the Patriots’ 2004 Tremendous Bowl title.
Patricia spent three seasons as the pinnacle coach of the Detroit Lions from 2018 to 2020, getting fired with a 13-29-1 file in his third season there.
Walton’s promotion comes after coming to Ohio State in 2022 from the NFL, the place he coached for 4 groups from 2009 to 2021. That included a job because the Rams‘ defensive coordinator in 2013.
His new title is a nod to the robust secondary play at Ohio State below his watch, because the Buckeyes completed No. 3 within the nation in passing yards allowed in 2024 and No. 1 in that class in 2023.
Guerrieri is a former co-defensive coordinator at Duke from 2018 to 2021 and was the co-defensive coordinator at Indiana in 2023.
They may all be charged with taking on an Ohio State protection that returns simply three starters from a unit that completed No. 1 nationally in complete protection and scoring protection. The eight departing starters, together with all the defensive position, venture to get picked within the NFL draft this spring.
Ohio State does return high-end expertise, together with security Caleb Downs, who initiatives as one of many high gamers in faculty soccer subsequent yr. Junior linebacker Sonny Kinds might be one other high prospect, and senior cornerback Davison Igbinosun earned honorable point out All-Huge Ten honors.
