Ohio State DC Matt Patricia gets massive pay bump with contract extension

Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will make $3.75 million in guaranteed compensation in 2026 as part of his contract extension, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request.

The new contract marks a massive pay raise for Patricia, who received a base salary worth $2.5 million during his first year with the Buckeyes. He earned $700,000 in bonuses as well for their appearances in the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

The bump is likely to makes the 51-year-old Patricia the highest-paid assistant coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and also includes a built-in salary increase for next year. Patricia will be owed $3.85 million in both 2027 and 2028, the remaining years of his extension.

The Buckeyes retained Patricia, who was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the country’s top assistant, despite overtures from the NFL, where he had spent most of his coaching career, most notably as a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots and later as the head coach for the Detroit Lions.

Athletic director Ross Bjork said there were “touch-and-go moments” during their negotiations, but Patricia remained committed to Ohio State before signing his new contract in February.

During the start of spring practice on March 10, coach Ryan Day said Patricia also made considerations for his family, who have liked Columbus, and valued the connections with players.

“He would tell you it’s a great place to go to work every day,” Day said. “Does he have options? Yes. Did he have options? Yes. But I think he found a lot of joy in making an impact on these guys’ lives at a different point than he really was used to in the NFL.

“So we were able to work something out to keep him here, and we knew that was important. The guys really enjoyed working with him and learning with him.”

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football reveals salary info for Matt Patricia’s new deal