After losing Jim Knowles, the Ohio State football team was expected to take a step down defensively. Knowles helped build one of the best defenses in the country in 2024, helping the Buckeyes win the national championship. To replace him, the Ohio State Buckeyes brought in Matt Patricia.
Instead of taking a step back, Patricia helped elevate Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished the season with the top defense in the country. While that wasn't good enough to win back-to-back titles, the defensive performance under Patricia was incredible.
Patricia had been interviewing with various NFL franchises for defensive coordinator jobs. For a while, it looked like the Buckeyes would lose him. Now, Patricia is locked in with the Buckeyes, as athletic director Ross Bjork announced some breaking news with Patricia.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia re-signs with the Buckeyes
According to AD Ross Bjork, Patricia has agreed to a contract extension to remain the defensive coordinator of Ohio State. Bjork made it clear that Patricia and his family are excited to stay in Columbus.
"He was always committed to staying here," Bjork said. "I know his family loves it. His kids have fit in well. ... We just kept a constant dialogue before we got to an agreement with him."
The defensive players have loved being coached by Patricia. In fact, pretty much every player on that side of the ball has mentioned that they love him more than they love Knowles. Patricia has been on the recruiting trail as well, showing that he is willing to do all of the work.
Even though the Buckeyes lose a lot of defensive talent, keeping Patricia is going to be a massive key for the defense not dropping off next year. His scheme and ability to adapt to his players is one of the reasons why Ohio State was so hard to score on this past season.
It's going to be great to see Patricia stay under Ryan Day. Now, Day has two former NFL head coaches locked in as coordinators for the 2026 season.