Matt Patricia Reportedly Reached New Deal With Ohio State, Will Remain With Buckeyes For 2026 Season

Ohio State will bring back defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for the 2026 season according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch.

“He was always committed to staying here,” said athletic director Ross Bjork. “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.”

After one season as the coordinator for Ohio State, during which the Buckeye defense was the No. 1 unit in the country on that side of the ball, Patricia was receiving interest from NFL teams to take over in the same position.

However, Patricia seems to be returning to Columbus for one more season after having been a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant coach in college football. Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines ultimately won the award.

Patricia’s new deal has not been reported, but his original contract was set to go through the 2027 season.

The 51-year-old Patricia had spent almost all of his coaching career at the NFL level before joining the Buckeyes for the 2025 season. His most recent college coaching experience was as a graduate assistant for Syracuse from 2001-03.

From there, he got a job with the New England Patriots as the assistant offensive line coach and ended up serving as the defensive coordinator from 2012-17. During his time with New England, Patricia won three Super Bowls.