New England Patriots

Patriots coaching rumors tracker: Latest updates on Vrabel's staff

Mike Vrabel is expected to make significant changes to the staff.

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For the second time in 12 months, the New England Patriots are rebuilding their coaching staff from the ground up.

The Patriots announced Mike Vrabel as their new head coach on Sunday, Jan. 12, just one week after firing Jerod Mayo following his 4-13 campaign in 2024. While Mayo overhauled much of the coaching staff last January, Vrabel is expected do the same, using the month of January to conduct interviews for New England's offensive and defensive coordinator jobs as well as positional coach roles.

So, who will Vrabel bring on? Here's a list of coaches who have been added to Vrabel's staff (or are staying on), followed by a roundup of all the latest news on the Patriots coaching front.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: The Patriots announced their full coaching staff Wednesday afternoon. See the chart above for each new coach's new role.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: The Patriots are hiring Mike Smith as their outside linebackers coach, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

A former NFL linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens, Smith was most recently with the Minnesota Vikings as their outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist from 2022 to 2023.

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Monday, Feb. 3: The Patriots are hiring Todd Downing as their wide receivers coach, according to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal.

Downing spent four seasons in Tennessee on Mike Vrabel's staff (including two as offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022) and served as the New York Jets' quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator in 2024.

Monday, Feb. 3: Matthew Slater isn't expected to have a role on the Patriots' coaching staff in 2025, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. The former special teams ace served as a special assistant to head coach Jerod Mayo in 2024.

Monday, Feb. 3: Ex-Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker is "among the options the Patriots have considered" to coach wide receivers this season, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Welker, who played for Josh McDaniels during his time in New England, spent the past three seasons as the Miami Dolphins' receivers coach and also coached wideouts with the San Francisco 49ers from 2019 to 2021.

Friday, Jan. 31: Ex-Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is expected to remain on the Patriots' coaching staff in 2025, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. McAdoo was a senior defensive assistant in 2024 but could have a new role under Vrabel, according to Reiss.

Reiss also confirmed that special teams assistant Tom Quinn is staying on under special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer.

Thursday, Jan. 30: Former Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington has found a new home; the Green Bay Packers plan to hire Covington as their new defensive line coach, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: The Patriots are expected to hire Buffalo Bills nickel coach/senior defensive assistant Scott Booker, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reports. Booker will serve as safeties coach in New England, per MassLive's Mark Daniels.

Booker spent six seasons working for Vrabel on the Titans' coaching staff from 2018 to 2023.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino, who had spent the last six seasons in New England, is leaving the team, via ESPN's Mike Reiss. To date, special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer is the only holdover from the Patriots' 2024 staff.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Safeties coach Brian Belichick, the son of ex-Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, won't return to the team in 2025, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

A host of other assistants from the 2024 staff reportedly are moving on as well, including Alex Van Pelt, Dont'a Hightower, Drew Wilkins, Tyler Hughes and Scott Peters.

Monday, Jan. 27: Milton Patterson is joining the Patriots coaching staff, per Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald. Patterson was Florida A&M's defensive coordinator last season.

Monday, Jan. 27: Jason Houghtaling is expected to join the Patriots coaching staff, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. Houghtaling was on the Bears staff last season but was an assistant offensive line coach and offensive line coach with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee from 2021 through 2023.

Monday, Jan. 27: The Patriots are hiring Thomas Brown, per MassLive's Mark Daniels. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Brown will be the Patriots' tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. Brown was the interim head coach, offensive coordinator and passing game coordinator for the Chicago Bears last season.

Monday, Jan. 27: The Patriots are hiring Florida A&M defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Milton Patterson in a role to be determined, per MassLive's Mark Daniels.

Monday, Jan. 27: The Patriots are adding veteran coach Doug Marrone to their staff, MassLive's Mark Daniels reports.

Marrone has two decades of NFL experience that includes head coach stints with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. He most served as the New Orleans Saints' offensive line coach from 2022-23, and it's possible he could take on that same role in New England. Marrone worked as Boston College's senior analyst for football strategy under head coach Bill O'Brien in 2024.

Friday, Jan. 24: The Patriots are bringing on Tennessee Titans assistant defensive line coach/pass rush specialist Clinton McMillan as a defensive assistant, per MassLive's Mark Daniels. McMillan overlapped with Vrabel for three seasons in Tennessee from 2021 to 2023.

Friday, Jan. 24: The Patriots are set to hire Ohio State offensive assistant Riley Larkin in a similar role, ESPN's Pete Thamel reports. Larkin worked with the Buckeyes' quarterbacks this past season and played QB at John Carroll University, John McDaniels' alma mater.

Thursday, Jan. 23: The Patriots reportedly are hiring Ashton Grant as their quarterbacks coach. Grant has worked for the Cleveland Browns for the last five years as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.

Thursday, Jan. 23: Giants defensive assistant Zak Kuhr is reportedly leaving New York to join Mike Vrabel's staff in New England. Kuhr worked with Vrabel at Ohio State in 2011 and with the Tennessee Titans as a quality control and assistant inside linebackers coach.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: The Patriots officially announced Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator, Terrell Williams as their defensive coordinator and Jeremy Springer as their special teams coordinator this afternoon.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: Former New York Jets running backs coach Tony Dews is joining Vrabel's staff in New England, The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reports. Dews spent six seasons in Tennessee with Vrabel as the Titans' running backs coach (2018-22) and tight ends coach (2023).

Wednesday, Jan. 22: The Patriots are set to hire Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams as their new defensive coordinator, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Learn more about Williams here.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: Josh McDaniels is expected to join Mike Vrabel's staff as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. It will mark McDaniels' third stint with the organization.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: Josh McDaniels has interviewed for the Patriots' offensive coordinator position, per multiple reports. McDaniels was New England's OC from 2006 through 2008, and then again from 2012 through 2021.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: The Patriots are targeting Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams to be their new defensive coordinator, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: The Patriots interviewed Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/assistant QBs coach Grant Udinski for their OC job on Monday, The MMQB's Albert Breer reports. The 28-year-old is considered a "rising star" in the coaching field, per Breer.

Monday, Jan. 20: The Patriots have requested to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive coordinator job, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports. Crow spent three seasons as the Tennessee Titans' OLBs coach under Vrabel from 2021-23.

Monday, Jan. 20: The Patriots are retaining special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Monday, Jan. 20: Former Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters has a new home; the Cincinnati Bengals have hired Peters as their new o-line coach and Michael McCarthy as Peters' assistant. McCarthy also spent 2024 in New England.

Monday, Jan. 20: Some around the league view Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams as Vrabel's "ideal pick" as defensive coordinator, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Saturday, Jan. 18: The Patriots interviewed Los Angeles Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator position on Friday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Friday, Jan. 17: We have our first Patriots offensive coordinator candidate; Chicago Bears interim head coach and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown interviewed for New England's OC job on Tuesday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

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