Matt Patricia Named Lions HC After Patriots' Super Bowl 52 Loss to Eagles

The Detroit Lions officially announced Monday that they hired New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to be their next head coach.

"When we launched the search for our next head coach, I wanted to find a leader that could take us to the next level and I am confident we have found that in Matt Patricia," general manager Bob Quinn said in a statement on the team's official site. "He has been preparing for this opportunity his entire career, and he’s ready for the responsibility and its challenges."

While Patricia is relatively young for a head coach at 43 years old, he has compiled an incredible resume throughout his career with the Patriots. He has been with the organization in various capacities since 2004, playing a role on teams that have won three Super Bowls and six conference titles.

The defenses have been especially impressive since Patricia became defensive coordinator in 2012. The unit ranked in the top 10 in points allowed in all six years he was defensive coordinator, including No. 1 overall in 2016. While the Patriots allowed 32 points per game in the first four weeks of 2017, Patricia helped turned things around, as they allowed just 14 PPG the rest of the year.

Even after losing Dont'a Hightower to a pectoral injury in late October, the unit continued to improve while helping the team win 11 of its final 12 regular-season games. And though the defense struggled in the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it was still a major reason the team reached that point.

Patricia's success made him a highly sought-after candidate for multiple NFL teams with job openings following the 2017 season.

Justin Rogers of the Detroit News reported in early January that Patricia was at the top of the Lions' wish list. After the divisional round, ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported that Patricia would be Detroit's next head coach, but the move couldn't be made official until the Patriots' season ended.

He will now be tasked with turning around a defense that ranked 21st in the league in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed. There is talent on that side of the ball, including Darius Slay and Ezekiel Ansah, for Patricia to work with.

Having an established quarterback in Matthew Stafford should go a long way toward finding immediate success next season.

Considering the organization hasn't won a playoff game since 1991, though, the new coach has his work cut out for him.