How Matt Patricia Found 'Different Joy' as Ohio State's Defensive Coordinator

ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Patricia is particular when it comes to pencils. It's his signature look, to have an iconic yellow wooden one tucked behind his ear on a sideline. It can’t be mechanical — though, that is what he used in college while studying aeronautical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. When it comes to drawing detailed diagrams of footwork or breaking down plays, however, he’s found a really sharp Ticonderoga No. 2 is the way to go.

"I put it up here," Patricia said, motioning to his head while sitting at a small round table alongside a few inquisitive reporters at Monday’s Cotton Bowl media day. "Because, for me, it was the safest place. I’m usually a walking Staples. I’ll have pens, markers. If you put a pencil in your pocket, it’s probably going to break or get you in a bad spot. So I kind of just put it in the hat."

It’s a handy habit and one that’s worked just fine for Patricia over the course of his career. He spent almost 20 years in the NFL, mostly with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, where he helped the team win three Super Bowls. He had an unsuccessful stint as the head coach of the Detroit Lions before returning to New England and later joining the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive assistant.

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For the past 10 months, Patricia has developed a newfound passion for coaching college football as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. He hadn’t been on a college staff in more than two decades, and when Ryan Day first announced his hire, it was met with a mixed bag of excitement and skepticism. 

It would have been understandable had Ohio State’s defense taken a step back after it was the best in the country and helped lead the way to a national championship last year. The Buckeyes lost eight defensive starters to the NFL and Patricia estimates the total snap number for returning guys was somewhere around 300.

But over the course of this season, Patricia has been able to layer in his philosophy, utilize the roster talent and build lasting relationships with players. He’s seeing results — the Buckeyes again have the No. 1 defense in the country — and the hope in Columbus is that it's good enough to win back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships.

That road starts on New Year’s Eve night when No. 2 Ohio State faces No. 10 Miami in the CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET).

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Day was in the market for a new defensive coordinator after Jim Knowles left for the same job at Penn State following last season’s national title. Day knew Patricia through various connections, including their mutual friendship with former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and the fact that they were both from New England, so he gave him a call.

Patricia was at the Super Bowl at the time of that first chat and was already intrigued by the idea of returning to college. In 2024, he took a break from coaching and spent time consulting with college teams and working clinics around the two-minute timeout rule and how that affected game management. While on various campuses, he’d have conversations with coaches about schemes, the transfer portal, roster building and NIL.

"It really started me thinking about, ‘Hey, maybe that’s the next avenue,’" Patricia said.

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The year off gave Patricia time to really think about what he wanted to do next. Patricia reflected on growing up when his father was a coach and both parents were teachers and the impact they had on young people.

"We went to eight straight AFC Championship games, and you’re kind of just in that mode," Patricia said. "I had the year to look back and say, ‘Why did I get into coaching?’ I got into it to help teach and mentor young men. And I think that’s what the draw was to come back to college."

Ohio State wasn’t the only school that called. Four different programs reached out to Patricia (he wouldn’t say which), but the Buckeyes checked all the boxes. For one, Day’s team was reigning national champion with returning future NFL talent. Two, he knew Day as well as co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton, who Patricia said he tried to hire when he was in Detroit, but it didn’t work out.

His family played a role in the decision, as well. When Patricia was with the Eagles in 2023, he remembers seeing his eldest son at Thanksgiving and again on Christmas and being shocked by how much he’d grown while he was away working. He wanted to be more present with his kids and experience their high school years. Plus, he thought it would be cool for them to be on a college campus.

Patricia has had a lot of fun this season and explained there’s a "different joy" in being surrounded by so much "youthful energy."

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It helps, too, that he’s been successful quickly. Patricia’s defense is ranked first in most defensive categories, including total defense with the Buckeyes holding opponents to an average of 213.5 yards per game and 3.9 yards per play. They’re the nation’s best in scoring defense (8.2 points per game) and pass defense (129.1 yards per game) and are second in red-zone touchdowns allowed (eight). 

So what makes Patricia’s unit so challenging to prepare for and play against?

"They’re just physical up front," Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. "Really, where they hammer people is their D-Line and linebackers and even safeties that come down, and they’re hard to run the ball against, you know? Their style, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re long, and so, ultimately, we’ve got to match the physicality of the game early and have some success.

"Plus, the people he’s playing with make it most challenging, you know what I mean?"

Patricia does. He fell into a talent pool with potential future first-round picks like safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Ohio State could again have the most players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"Get out of the way of the talent, let the players play," Patricia said. "I want our guys to play fast and aggressive, and they do so many things well."

Patricia hasn’t tailored much from the defenses he coached in the NFL at Ohio State. He teaches in a conceptual way and tries not to make it too complicated. He makes subtle changes up front and switches up defensive looks that frustrate offenses. In just one season, players can tell how they’ve developed and become more versatile playing in this system. For example, defensive lineman Caden Curry moves around into different positions from the end to the middle to pass rush. 

"It’s not the same thing over and over again," Curry said.

Lorenzo Styles has seen his skill set grow because Patricia has him play nickel and safety. 

"He's using us as players and not necessarily just spots in his defense," Styles said. "So it's been great playing for him."

Ohio State could very well win consecutive national championships. It has the pieces and the necessary motivation coming off a loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game. But when you ask players what they’ve relished most this season, they often reference Patricia’s impact and influence on and off the field.

"When he first stepped on campus, it was like a long-lost family member that just came back," defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. said. 

That sentiment is shared throughout the locker room, where he’s become a lovable and trusted source among all position groups. Patricia often pulls guys — defensive players, offensive players, backups, special teams, etc. — off to the side in practice for a quick chat. It’s just to tell them they’re doing a good job or that he’s noticed they’ve improved in a certain area or to ask how their family is or how their day was.

He’s made it a priority to get to know everyone on the team in a meaningful way.

"I’m trying to invest in all of them," Patricia said.

Monday morning during breakfast, Patricia walked over to a table of players. They all had their heads down on their phones, and he said, "'Stop. Give me a story. Give me something. Tell me a joke. Give me something. Let’s talk. Let’s build that brotherhood.'

"They didn’t have any jokes, and I told them, ‘You guys have got to get some jokes.’"

It’s moments like these that resonate with players. 

"He finds a way to relate to people and that comes from the knowledge that he has about life in general," Downs said. "I told somebody else recently that I think he’s probably one of the smartest people I know. I just respect him a lot."

No matter how Ohio State ends the year, there will be speculation about what’s next for Patricia. His contract runs through 2027. Could he return to the NFL? Try his hand as a head coach in college? Stay in Columbus?

"I mean, I’m really happy," Patricia said. "I’m not in a hurry to do anything other than try to win this game. Hopefully, no one is trying to run me out of town or anything right now. It’s a really special place. Hopefully, I’m helping the kids, and I’m helping us win."

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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