Detroit Lions: Can Matt Patricia buck the trend of former Patriot assistants?

Since the start of the Patriots’ dynasty, their assistants have not seen much success. The Detroit Lions and Matt Patricia will do his best to change that.

At this point, it’s almost a guarantee that Matt Patricia will be the next head coach of the Detroit Lions. According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Patricia is very likely to take the job as soon as the Patriots season is over.

Patricia has worked with the Patriots since being hired as an offensive assistant in 2004. He worked his way up the coaching ladder with the Patriots dynasty, posting stints as an assistant offensive line coach, the linebackers coach, and the safeties coach, before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012.

Patricia’s success at leading the defense has been part of the reason why the Patriots are the powerhouse franchise they are today. In his time at defensive coordinator, the Patriots have won two Super Bowls, and their defensive schemes and physical play were key factors in both of those Super Bowl runs.

Since his tenure at defensive coordinator for the Patriots started in 2012, New England has gone 75-21, and their defenses have averaged an impressive 19.2 points per game, which ranks second in the league over that time frame.

Not giving up points has always been a standard among Patricia’s defenses in New England, as they have ranked in the top 10 in points allowed every season in his tenure, including 5th this season. New England’s defense has been elite in the past decade, and Patricia has been the main reason for that.

This is why Matt Patricia can succeed as the next coach of the Detroit Lions. His aggressive playcalling, innovative schemes, and the energy he gets out of his players are all things that this young Lions defense could use.

In the past few weeks, there has been some concern over Patricia being reported as the next head coach for Motor City. He is about to be a former Patriots assistant, and former assistants for New England have not exactly had the greatest track record as head coaches in the NFL.

Coaches Nick Saban and Kirk Ferentz, both former assistants of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, have found success in the college game, but there really hasn’t been a former Belichick disciple that has found massive success in the pros

Josh McDaniels, the current offensive coordinator for the Patriots, is a prime example of Belichick’s assistants failing as coaches. He went a mediocre 11-17 in his time with the Denver Broncos, and was fired 12 games into his second season. His most memorable head coaching achievement might end up being the fact that he coached an immortal quarterback by the name of Tim Tebow.

McDaniels is far from the only assistant to get killed as a head coach. Charlie Weis went 35-27 in five years with Notre Dame and a pitiful 6-22 in three years with Kansas, is now considered a laughingstock in most college football circles.

After winning 3 titles with the Patriots, Romeo Crennel looked terrible as a head coach, going 24-40 in four seasons with the Browns and only winning 4 of 19 games with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Former New England defensive backs coach Eric Mangini also struggled with the Browns, adding records of 10-22 in Cleveland and a 23-25 record with the New York Jets to this list of terrible leadership performances. With all these concerning statistics, Lions fans should be a bit worried in hiring a former Patriots coach to lead the squad.

But Bob Quinn sees something different in Matt Patricia. He sees a man that has the most experience with the Patriots than any of the coaches previously listed. And he sees a man who can enhance this Lions defense, keep the good offense rolling, and elevate this team from pretender to contender status.

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No former New England assistant has seen massive success as a head coach in the NFL, but there is a first time for everything. Hopefully, Patricia can buck this ugly trend and finally lead this Detroit to legitimacy, integrity and playoff success.