Ex-Lions head coach Matt Patricia being groomed as Bill Belichick’s successor with the Patriots
Matt Patricia did not write much of a success story in his three seasons as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. His Lions finished with a combined record of 14-33-1 from 2018-2020, including the games after he was fired last season.
Yet Patricia appears poised to take over for the author of the greatest sports dynasty of the 21st century. There are many indications coming out of New England that Patricia is the heir apparent to Bill Belichick as the head coach and primary decision-maker for the Patriots.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wrote an interesting report detailing how Belichick, 69, is prepping Patricia to take over his roles in New England once he decides it’s time to move on.
Among the specifics cited by Volin in the piece:
Patricia has signed every free agent contract as the Patriots rep
He was Belichick’s “sounding board” for drafting QB Mac Jones
Standing next to, and interacting continuously, with Belichick during New England’s OTA session
It makes no real sense to anyone who even casually followed the Lions during Patricia’s unsuccessful tenure. However, the “special assistant to the head coach” for Belichick — an unofficial title; Patricia does not appear on the Patriots’ list of employees — rose up the coaching ranks in New England and coordinated some impressive defenses in his years with the Patriots.
