Matt Patricia Listed among Worst NFL Coaching Hires

Is Matt Patricia the worst Lions coaching hire ever?

Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia / Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia is unfortunately part of a list that no NFL coach wants to be a part of.

In a recent Pro Football Network listing of the worst NFL coaching hires, the Patriots' former defensive coordinator was ranked as the seventh-worst hire of all-time.

As writer Dallas Robinson explained, "Many of Bill Belichick’s former underlings have attempted to instill the New England Patriots’ way of doing things with other organizations, and it typically hasn’t gone well. Matt Patricia was no exception. The ex-Patriots DC’s reign as the Lions’ head coach featured one disaster after another. Patricia’s domineering approach backfired, leading to a toxic relationship with the Lions’ locker room."

Speaking with ESPN, Taylor Decker reflected on his former head coach being dismissed.

"The thing that was frustrating was that it can be hard to get a positive change when you're getting wins here and there, but it didn't seem like we were improving," said Decker. "It felt like we were starting to dip."

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Detroit's talented offensive lineman was initially surprised that ownership decided to go in a different direction.

"It definitely lends credibility to the statement that it's a cut-throat business. It's not about your feelings all the time, whether your intentions were good or not. So, was I surprised initially? Yeah. But, that's just part of the business," Decker said. "It's much like when Jim Caldwell got fired, and you've got to turn the page and we've got to go to the next thing, because things weren't where they needed to be around here. They thought it was time for a change."