Guest Article: Meet Matt Patricia

By: Derek Harrington

So, I bet you are saying to yourself, who is that stylish man on the Pats sidelines with a beard that puts Bruce Gardner’s to absolute shame? Meet Matt Patricia, the Patriots LB Coach. The past few weeks I always see this younger coach on the sideline talking to guys like Mayo or Ninkovich. Each week, I noticed his beard growing more and more glorious, and with Manuary around the corner, a tribute to him was definitely needed.

Patricia has been with the Patriots for six years now, but has been involved with football his entire life. Matt was born on September 13th, 1974 and grew up in the city of Sherrill, New York. He attended Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School, and was both a lettered football player and wrestler. Patricia was an offensive lineman for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he won 3 ECAC Championships. He never played in the NFL.

Patricia’s coaching career began in 1996 at his alma-mater RPI, as a graduate assistant. He later went on to coach at Amherst College for two seasons, 1999-2000, as the defensive line coach. Matt slowly climbed the ranks and for the three years prior to the Pats, he coached as an offensive assistant at Syracuse University from 2000-2003. In 2004, Patricia made the jump to the NFL with a job with the New England Patriots.

Patricia was assigned as an offensive assistant for the 2004 season. It was his job to break down the opponent’s film, scouting preparations, and assisting in practice. In 2005, then offensive line coach Jeff Davidson left the organization. The Pats then re-assigned Patricia to offensive line coach. A year later, in 2006, linebackers coach Dean Pees was promoted to defensive coordinator. Again, Patricia was re-assigned, this time to linebackers coach. He has remained the Pat’s linebackers coach since 2006, despite rumors of a possible promotion to defensive coordinator last January.

You could say “Matty P,” as many of the players refer to him, is the defensive coordinator in waiting. The same could be said about Pepper Johnson too, but anyways… I apologize in advance as the pictures I have literally do no justice, but they are the best I could find. However, I hope you all take the time to pay some respect to Patricia’s beard. I also hope you take the time to appreciate the man who has tutored the NFL’s current leading tackler, Jerod Mayo, and facilitated the emergence of little known LB Rob Ninkovich. Every week when I see him, I simply go, “wow….glorious beard and glorious coach.”

-Guest article written by Derek Harrington. For anyone else who wishes to get a chance at a guest article being posted on UB, send your work in to theultimateboston@gmail.com.