Matt Patricia Reportedly The Favorite To Land Giants Head Coaching Job
BOSTON (CBS) -- The strong belief is that Matt Patricia will not be defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots next season, leaving the cozy comfort of Bill Belichick's staff for a head coaching gig of his own.
All signs pointed to Patricia taking over in Detroit, where he interviewed with during New England's postseason bye week. But he also met with the New York Giants last week, and now it appears Patricia is not only the favorite for that job, but prefers them over Detroit.
From Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:
All signs are pointing to Matt Patricia, the New England Patriots defensive coordinator with a degree in aeronautical engineering, as the man the Giants will hire to point Big Blue back in the right direction.
...
Many believed Patricia would be the Lions' new head coach because he and Detroit GM Bob Quinn, a former Patriots exec, would keep it in the family as products of New England, too.
But also consider this: Belichick holds a strong affinity for the Giants from the glory days and has been active in grooming and advising McDaniels and Patricia in this process, and it could mean a lot to Belichick and to his legacy for Patricia to take over and turn around his former team.
So much for that silly rumor involving Belichick leaving the Patriots for his old stomping grounds.
The 43-year-old Patricia joined Belichick's staff in New England in 2004 and has run the Patriots defense for the last six years. The team has had its share of defensive struggles but won a pair of Super Bowls with Patricia as its defensive coordinator. Their defense also led the league in points allowed in the 2016 Super Bowl-winning season.