The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a stellar national championship run, securing their ninth title in program history and their first under head coach Ryan Day.
However, success often brings change, and that was evident this offseason with shifts in the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly left for the NFL to join the Las Vegas Raiders, while defensive coordinator Jim Knowles made a surprising exit, heading to Penn State after being offered a more lucrative deal.
In response, Ohio State has promoted from within, tapping wide receivers coach Brian Hartline to step up as offensive coordinator. As for the defensive coordinator role, the search remains ongoing, with former NFL head coach and long-time New England Patriots defensive mastermind, Matt Patricia, emerging as a key candidate.
Patricia’s last college coaching stint was back in 2003 at Syracuse University, but his coaching career truly soared at the NFL level, particularly on defense. After 15 years with the Patriots, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017 and helped lead the team to two Super Bowl victories, Patricia’s experience speaks for itself. Following his time with the Patriots, Patricia was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2018 to 2020, and although his tenure didn’t yield much success, his deep defensive acumen remains invaluable. More recently, he was the defensive coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.
While Ohio State has time to explore other options or potentially promote from within, the defensive coordinator role is critical. Jim Knowles had a major impact in transforming Ohio State’s defense into one of the nation’s elite units, making the position crucial for the team’s continued success.
