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The Ohio State Buckeyes are reportedly set to name veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia as their new defensive coordinator and not everybody is happy about it. Patricia is set to replace Jim Knowles, who left the Buckeyes to join Big Ten rival Penn State. His recent track record in the NFL is less than stellar. But that’s not why fans are upset with the hire.
Instead, they’re unhappy about an incident in Patricia’s past that brings his character in doubt. In 1996, Patricia and acollege teammate were charged and later indicted by a grand jury on one count of aggravated sexual assault. a 21-year-old woman told police that the two men burst into the upscale hotel room where she was sleeping and took turns sexually assaulting her. The indictment required nine of the 12 grand jurors find sufficient evidence to believe someone committed a crime.
Ultimately, the case was dismissed after the alleged victim opted not to testify. “Victim does not feel she can face the pressures or stress of a trial,” a note from the motion to dismiss read.
The case did not affect Patricia’s rise through the coaching ranks. In fact, nobody even knew about the case until the Detroit Lions hired Patricia as their head coach in 2018. Detroit later admitted to missing the incident while vetting Patricia, stating that they only looked for legal convictions. Patricia lased less than three seasons in Detroit, going 13-19-1 along the way.
Since being fired he’s bounced around multiple roles with multiple NFL teams before landing with the Buckeyes. But Ohio State fans are voicing their displeasure.
“Matt Patricia? So…did every defensive coordinator candidate that wasn’t indicted for sexual assault turn down the Ohio State job and no one else was left, or…,” one fan tweeted.
“I need @DougLesmerises or @BillLandis25 to ask the question about Patricia’s rape charge. No one else has the balls. If they think it’s fine to hire him, they need the question put to them with teeth,” said another.
Ultimately, Patricia will likely be judged on his successes of failures on the field. But it’s fair to wonder if his history was even a consideration in the hiring process.