The Matt Patricia era of the Detroit Lions wasn’t pretty. Under Patricia’s leadership, the Lions had a 13-29-1 record, with a .314 winning percentage, according to NFL research, from 2018 to 2020.
So, the team parted ways with Patricia in 2020 and also let general manager Bob Quinn walk in a move that has proved to be a good thing for the Detroit Lions. But, that decision may have also been the best thing for Patricia.
“It was a hard decision because they are both terrific people and worked very hard and tirelessly for this organization,” owner Sheila Ford Hamp said in a statement at the time. “It just clearly wasn’t working. It wasn’t what we had hoped for when we hired them, and so I don’t know if there was an exact moment.”
While Detroit Lions fans almost always grimace when the name “Matt Patricia” comes up, it’s hard not to follow what he’s been doing since leaving Detroit. Now, he’s with a Michigan rival and doing surprisingly well.
Former Detroit Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia Is Staying With Ohio State in 2026 Contract Extension
Earlier this year, following a successful 12-2 season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Patricia re-signed a three-year contract extension with Ohio State to remain their defensive coordinator. The deal made him the highest-paid assistant in college football, with a $3.75 million salary for the 2026 season, according to CBS Sports.
“Patricia’s now one of four coordinators at the Power Four level who has broken the $3 million threshold, a number previously reserved as a starting number for most head coaches,” Brad Crawford of CBS Sports notes in a March 2026 story.
Under Patricia, Ohio State led college football in scoring and total defense for the 2025-26 season. Now, he’s making more than twice as much as Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. That’s got to be an uncomfortable relationship, knowing the difference in pay.
Matt Patricia Opens Up About Why He’s Staying With Ohio State
After re-signing, Patricia was asked why he wanted to stay with Ohio State. Frankly, it’s a gig, right? It’s one of the most coveted gigs in college football, so the question is really, why would he not? But, Patricia had a heartfelt answer. He said it had to do with family and the legacy of Ohio State.
“Ohio State is such a special place,” Patricia told reporters, according to SI’s Brian Schaible. “Not only just the history and the tradition, the football program, the school, but the people that are here.”
He added that “there were opportunities in college, there were opportunities in the league for sure. But we had just moved. The family is a big part of it. It’s hard when you’ve got to move your family around, your kids going to school and all that.”
Patricia also said that he and his family have had an “unbelievable experience settling into Columbus. Everybody’s been so nice and welcoming. It feels like home.”
It’s ironic that Patricia is now succeeding in helping to lead the Buckeyes, a major rival of the University of Michigan, through a successful period of college football. We wish him the best, so long as it’s not against the Wolverines.
Ex-Lions Coach Matt Patricia Seems to Have Found His Forever Home