Lions 'comfortable' with Patricia after learning of 1996 sexual assault case

The Detroit Lions didn't come across a 1996 sexual assault case involving Matt Patricia when they conducted background checks before hiring him as their new head coach in February, the team acknowledged to Robert Snell of The Detroit News.

Patricia was indicted in the case but never tried because the accuser chose not to proceed to trial, according to old court documents. Lions president Rod Wood initially told the publication he had no knowledge of the case but later responded with support for Patricia.

"I am very comfortable with the process of interviewing and employing Matt," he said. "I will tell you with 1,000 percent certainty that everything I've learned confirmed what I already knew about the man and would have no way changed our decision to make him our head coach."

Patricia was one of two men accused of raping a woman during spring break in 1996. They were both arrested at the time and later charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault.

Wood said the woman recanted her accusations against Patricia and the other man involved, Greg Dietrich. However, the newspaper found no existing records to support that claim.

One of the defense lawyers who represented Patricia in the case said he believes the sexual assault never took place.

"In my opinion, it was a fabrication," attorney Jeff Wilson said. "I'm telling you it was a 'he said, she said.' I don't know what type of problems the girl was having; I don't know why she made that allegation. We vehemently denied that he was doing anything wrong or did anything wrong."

Specific details from the case are murky because the police report was discarded and central figures involved had no recollection of it. Patricia was 21 years old when the incident supposedly took place.

The Lions made Patricia a head coach for the first time in his career when they hired him from the New England Patriots. He coached in New England from 2004-17, spending his last five seasons as the team's defensive coordinator.

Wood said Lions general manager Bob Quinn - who worked with Patricia in New England - was also unaware of the indictment before he hired Patricia.