Ohio State Hires Matt Patricia As Defensive Coordinator

Matt Patricia, who led the New England Patriots to two Super Bowl wins will be Ohio State’s defensive coordinator in 2025. Patricia will replace Jim Knowles, who left Ohio State in January to become Penn State’s defensive coordinator. Ohio State made two other defensive moves in addition to hiring Patricia.

Secondary Coach Tim Walton is now co-defensive coordinator and Safeties Coach Matt Guerrieri is now the pass-game coordinator. Head Coach Ryan Day praised Guerrieri at the national championship celebration. Are all these moving pieces going to hurt Ohio State’s quest to repeat?

Matt Patricia Is the New Defensive Coordinator at Ohio State

Patricia will replace Jim Knowles as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. Buckeye nation is split on the Patricia hire, but he has shown he can lead defenses at the highest level of football. This is despite his failings as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. With the Patriots, Patricia had defenses ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in points allowed per game in eight of those nine seasons.

Patricia also brings head coaching experience to Ohio State, though his time with the Detroit Lions (2018-20) was not successful. He went only 13-29-1 in three seasons before being fired. Patricia did not coach last year, though he coached in the NFL in 2022 and 2023. He does have significant college coaching experience.

It will be interesting to see how Patricia works with Walton and Gurreri. Also important is how Patricia works with long-time Defensive Line Coach Larry Johnson. One thing is clear. This is Day’s show. It is also the case that Patricia has a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. The terms of his contract were not released, though Ohio State does have unlimited resources.

Tim Walton Promoted to Ohio State Co-Defensive Coordinator

Walton is getting a promotion as well. He has been promoted to co-defensive coordinator. The promotion is fitting for Walton, who has been on staff for three years. Walton coached the cornerbacks in 2022 and has earned a promotion each year. He became defensive passing coordinator in 2023 and assistant head coach in 2024.

Matt Guerrieri Promoted To Ohio State Passing-Game Coordinator

Guerrieri is entering his second season as a member of Ohio State’s coaching staff. He has been deemed by Day as a rising star. He first coached the safeties last season. Guerrieri joined OSU’s staff as a senior advisor and analyst in 2022. He then spent a year at Indiana as co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach before returning to Ohio State.

Day has praised Guerrieri. He said of Gurrieri, “One of the brightest minds in college football, and I’m telling you, a star in the making.” Day said this while introducing Guerrieri to a roaring crowd during Ohio State’s national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium on January 25.

Conclusion

With these defensive moves, the Ohio State coaching staff is complete The full staff has yet to be announced though. The moves on the offensive side of the ball happened last week with the promotion of Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator following Chip Kelly’s defection to the NFL. It will be interesting to see this coaching staff gel. They have a bunch of talent. They better gel quickly. The first game Ohio State has in the 2025 season is a playoff rematch with the Texas Longhorns.