Matt Patricia's tenure as Detroit Lions' head coach was so bad in every way that it's still hard to believe it was less than three seasons. His attempt to bring "The Patriot Way" to Detroit with then-general manager Bob Quinn was an epic fail, to put it mildly.
Clearly seeking the opposite of what they had, with Chris Spielman brought back to the organization and with Brad Holmes in place as general manager, Dan Campbell was hired to replace Patricia as Lions' head coach in 2021. After slow start for about a season and a half, and a profession of faith from owner Sheila Ford Hamp, the results have come under Campbell's guidance.
Patricia has made a move into media, working with The 33rd Team and alongside his former boss Bill Belichick on a podcast.
Ahead of Thursday night's game between the Lions and the Green Bay Packers, Patricia appeared on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football." The appearance was met with the expected ire from Lions' fans, but Patricia had nothing but good things to say about the city he used to work in and the franchise he once worked for.
Matt Patricia praises Dan Campbell as catalyst for Lions' success
“I love Detroit. I’m so happy for the fans,” Patricia said, via Kory Woods of MLive. “That fan base… when you take a job and you go to a city, really all you want to do as a coach is just go win. You want to go win for those people that are dying to have that and experience that. And I’m for Dan and his staff, and the players that are there, (and) ownership. The city is on fire right now. It’s great. It’s a lot of fun. I think it’s unbelievable what they’re doing."
"I love how they’re playing the game," Patricia said (h/t to 97.1 The Ticket) . "(What) Dan has built, the culture that he has brought in, the toughness that he has there. I love offense, I love offensive line, Hank Fraley, what he’s done with those guys, and certainly Ben Johnson, what he’s been able to do with the offense, those guys are phenomenal. Defense is playing well. They’ve got some injuries that they gotta wok through, but I think they will. They’re a well-coached team. Dave Fipp on special teams, he does a great job."
"I mean, love it, I think it’s great, Patricia said. "Who doesn’t want the Lions to win? Like, this has been forever. Let’s go, let’s go win!"
Offensive line coach Hank Fraley and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were hired by Patricia and retained on the Lions' coaching staff by Campbell. But ultimately, the former Lions' head coach did not stray too far from big praise for his successor.
“Give credit to Dan Campbell.”
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) December 5, 2024
Former Lions head coach Matt Patricia reflects on his time in Detroit, and what has changed since. pic.twitter.com/jI5mmEzBbR
“Give credit to Dan Campbell and what he was able to do to just get the entire building to follow what he wanted them to do, believe in what they were preaching, go out (and) work hard,” Patricia said. “We all know how it is in the NFL as you’re going through — you get a little bit of success and you get a little bit of that belief. Look, everybody’s good in the NFL. These are great football players."
“Sometimes it just needs a little bit of a spark, a little bit of belief", Patricia added. "And we’ve seen that in individual guys that go out. All of a sudden, you make a play and you become a great player in the league. It’s no different with any other team. You make a play, you get through one of those games that are tough, a little bit of adversity. (Then) the spark goes off. Now you’re winning. Everyone believes, they’re buying in, you build that momentum, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s great.”
Patricia was not equipped to bring winning to Detroit, and he left Campbell with a culture that needed a complete reset. But even with the team's current success and the space of four years since he was fired, Lions fans clearly won't ever let go of their hatred.