According to a report from the Boston Globe's Jim McBride, Matt Patricia will be returning to the New England Patriots coaching staff "in a variety of roles." The former Patriots defensive coordinator went 13-29-1 in three seasons as head coach of the Lions and will now bring a familiar face back to a coaching staff that has seen its fair share of departures in recent seasons.
Patricia joined the Patriots in 2004 as an offensive coaching assistant then assisted the offensive line before working his way to the defensive side of the ball, taking over the linebackers from 2006-2010 and the safeties in 2011. He was named defensive coordinator in 2012 and would help lead the Patriots to two more Super Bowl titles before his departure in 2018.
Well-experienced in the team's concepts and systems, especially on the defensive side of the ball, Patricia should help reinforce the staff and give Bill Belichick back a trusted voice as the team looks to get back on track after a 7-9 season.
Also joining the team's staff per McBride will be former Lions assistant Evan Rothstein, who worked in analytics and with Patricia in Detroit. Rothstein was the defensive playcaller for the Lions when their coaching staff was hit with a COVID-19 late last season.
21 Burning questions for offseason
The Patriots have plenty of questions to answer this offseason and plenty of ammunition to make some big splashes.
