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Former Red Sox analytics director joined Patriots in ‘football strategy’ role
Joe McDonald was with the Red Sox for 12 years before joining the Patriots in December.
Former Red Sox executive now with the Patriots: While the team-to-team movement of front office staff is not unusual by itself, the notion of an executive moving between sports is decidedly less common. But that appears to be exactly what former Red Sox analytics director Joe McDonald has recently done with his decision to join the Patriots.
In a move that was first noticed by MassLive Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo, McDonald left the local ball-club for its football counterpart in December.
McDonald’s listed role with the Patriots is “senior analyst, football strategy.” Exactly what that entails in a football context (as opposed to baseball) remains to be seen. Previously, McDonald was with the Red Sox for 12 years, including a six-year run as the team’s director of baseball analytics.
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A Malden native, McDonald attended Boston College before beginning his career with the Red Sox on a full-time basis in Oct. 2014 (after working as an intern in 2013).
The Patriots are coming off a second straight 4-13 season, resulting in yet another last place finish in the AFC East. McDonald will join newly-appointed head coach Mike Vrabel’s reassembled staff — which still has a few vacancies — in the hope of rebuilding New England’s once proud franchise.
Trivia: The Chiefs are attempting to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. Can you name every other team that has previously won back-to-back Super Bowls?
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(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Four from the AFC, three from the NFC (and remember, this does not include the aforementioned Chiefs).
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins and Celtics both won on Monday. The Bruins defeated the Sharks 6-3 at TD Garden while the Celtics routed the Warriors 125-85.
Both teams will be back in action tomorrow, with the Bruins playing the Devils in New Jersey at 7 p.m. and the Celtics facing the the Clippers in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome at 10:30 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, the Boston Fleet host the Toronto Sceptres at 7 p.m.
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- Mike Vrabel will reportedly retain Jeremy Springer as Patriots special teams coach
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- Matt Poitras, Mason Lohrei signal it’s time for Bruins to embrace youth movement
- What do Patriots need this offseason? Jonathan Jones lists his priorities
- Watch the postgame interaction (or lack thereof) between Jayson Tatum and Steve Kerr
- ‘You try to take advantage of that [platform]’: Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla explains significance of playing on MLK Day
- Lexington’s Will Smith, other local Sharks players have memorable homecoming at TD Garden
- Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson reportedly agrees to become Bears head coach
- Boston Fleet to play two home games in March at BU’s Agganis Arena
Behind the scenes: The Patriots released some footage of newly appointed head coach Mike Vrabel’s first day back at Gillette Stadium.
On this day: In 1994, Robert Kraft bought the Patriots for a then-record sum of $172 million. His initial statement of intent revolved around keeping what was at the time one of the league’s beleaguered franchises from relocating.
The princely sum Kraft paid was based less on past performance — New England in the years preceding his purchase was one of the worst teams in the NFL — but on what he planned for the future.
Several decades and six Super Bowl wins later, his faith has been vindicated. Especially from a valuation standpoint, the Patriots (now appraised at more than $7 billion in worth per Forbes) have become one of the most valuable sports teams in the world.
On this date 27 years ago, Robert Kraft purchased the New England Patriots.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 21, 2021
The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/ouJtzRGQ36
Daily highlight: Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made multiple saves in a thrilling sequence during Boston’s Monday night win.
JUST A REMARKABLE SEQUENCE OF SAVES FROM JOONAS KORPISALO! 😱 pic.twitter.com/9bLnneMG4U
— NHL (@NHL) January 20, 2025
Trivia answer: Packers, Dolphins, Steelers, 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos, Patriots
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