Greg Schiano's return to Ohio State next season isn't a done deal just yet. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports reported earlier this month that the Ohio State defensive coordinator's name was of interest in NFL circles for "some defensive coordinator jobs."

One such opening will be in New England, with Patriots DC Matt Patricia slated to be the next coach of the Detroit Lions.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thinks highly of Schiano.

"He's one of the very best coaches I think in our profession," Belichick told reporters after the fallout from Tennessee's failed hiring of Schiano. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Greg and the way he runs his program and the job that he does."

According to a report from NBC Boston, Schiano is expected to interview with the Patriots after the Super Bowl.

Per source, Greg Schiano is expected to interview for the Patriots defensive coordinator position when Patricia goes to Detroit. — Gary Tanguay (@Gary_Tanguay) February 2, 2018

Please note, "is expected to interview" is a far cry from "will be the next defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots." Still, the connection makes sense and will be one to watch next week when the dust settles on another NFL season.

Schiano hasn't worked in the NFL since 2013, when he coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.