Ryan Day’s Ohio State reached a new deal with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, as the news was confirmed on Monday. It is great news for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, as the school is preparing to return to action for the spring game at Ohio Stadium on April 12.
After one season as the coordinator at Ohio State, Patricia received interest from NFL teams to take over the same position. However, he will return to Columbus for another year following an outstanding 2025 season with the Buckeyes.
Ryan Day’s Ohio State Earns Rave Reviews With Matt Patricia’s Return
With Patricia set to remain through 2026, analyst RJ Young explained why his return is so significant for Ohio State and its fanbase.
“I don’t think you can overstate the importance of a guy like Patricia returning to coach a team,” Young said in his podcast on Monday. “Because remember, before they got to Jim Knowles, it was up and down. Jim Knowles’ defense needed three years to sink in… What was amazing about 2025 for me is how Patricia saw what was there, tweaked it just a little bit, and turned out the best 11 on the football field for defense…”
“I am kind of floored thinking about just how quickly he [Patricia] was able to put that into place with players he didn’t recruit, with players he didn’t develop. Think about just how good they’re going to be once they get to a place where the guys that they’re bringing in are all guys that Matt Patricia wanted on the defense.’”
Patricia’s previous agreement with Ohio State was a three-year contract that paid him $2.5 million for the 2025 season and would run through 2027, according to records obtained by The Dispatch. His new deal is expected to make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in college football.
Before joining Ohio State, he spent decades in the NFL, most notably as the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator and later as the Detroit Lions’ head coach.
Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork admitted there were ‘touch-and-go’ moments while working to secure Patricia’s return, but said that the DC was committed to staying with Day’s staff. Day himself also expressed appreciation once the agreement was finalized.
“Gonna give everybody a lot of credit involved, we wanted to make sure that his future was cemented here moving forward,” Day said about Patricia’s deal. “I know that Matt loves being a Buckeyes family, he’s really assimilated well, and so really excited. I know the guys will be excited.”
Under Patricia’s leadership in 2025, Ohio State boasted the nation’s top-ranked defense, surrendering only 9.2 points per game. The Buckeyes also finished No. 4 nationally in the PFSN College Football Defense Impact Metric with a 95.1 rating.
Patricia’s work earned him recognition as a finalist for the Broyles Award, which honors the top assistant coach in college football. The award ultimately went to Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, but Patricia can aim for that nod once again in 2026.
