BOSTON — Former Patriots offensive play-caller and offensive line coach Matt Patricia is flying south.
During a pre-draft press conference Thursday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said he is trending toward hiring Patricia for a role on his staff. Minutes later, ESPN reported Patricia and the Eagles have officially reached terms to make him a senior defensive assistant.
“Obviously (Patricia)’s resume speaks for itself,” Sirianni said. “He gives you a great mind in there that’s done it at the highest level; gives me another former head coach I can bounce ideas off.”
According to sources, Patricia has not been an active member of the Patriots organization since the team’s offseason began in mid-January.
Patricia flipped to the offensive coaching staff last year after spending most of his coaching career on defense. Under his leadership as de facto offensive coordinator, and that of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, the Patriots offense averaged 18.1 points per game over its worst season-long performance of the Belichick era. The team finished 8-9, and second-year quarterback Mac Jones regressed statistically.
Shortly after the season ended, Belichick hired Bill O’Brien to replace Patricia and Judge as his offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach, respectively. Last spring, Belichick elevated Patricia into his first-time roles of offensive play-caller and offensive line coach after he worked as a senior football advisor in 2021. Prior to landing back in Foxboro, he was the head coach of the Lions for two and half seasons until he was fired midway through the 2020 season.
Patricia first made a name for himself as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator from 2012-2017, a position he took after working as an offensive assistant, linebackers coach and safeties coach in New England.
