Who people around NFL reportedly think Mike Vrabel’s ‘ideal’ defensive coordinator is for Patriots
The Patriots haven't announced if DeMarcus Covington is staying, but it appears they're moving on at defensive coordinator.
As Mike Vrabel fills out his staff with the Patriots, much of the attention has been focused on who will coach quarterback Drake Maye and serve as the offensive coordinator.
But Vrabel is also on the hunt to find a defensive coordinator. There also might be a favorite to get the job. “Some people around the NFL” think Lions defensive line coach/run-game coordinator Terrell Williams is Vrabel’s “ideal” pick to become the Patriots’ next defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported in his Sunday notes column.
Williams, 50, was a key figure on Vrabel’s staff when he was the Titans head coach. Vrabel hired him to be the team’s defensive line coach when he took over as Tennessee’s head coach in 2018. Williams held that position in all six seasons that Vrabel was with the Titans. However, Williams also became the Titans’ assistant head coach in 2023 as Vrabel “thought so highly” of the long-time assistant, according to Reiss.
While Williams hasn’t been a defensive coordinator, he’s served as a defensive line coach in the NFL every year since 2012. Prior to his stint with the Titans, he worked as the defensive line coach for the Raiders (2012-14) and Dolphins (2015-17). He joined the Lions after Vrabel was fired by the Titans at the end of the 2023 season.
Williams has helped develop several notable young defensive linemen over his dozen-plus seasons in the NFL. He worked with Lamarr Houston and Khalil Mack during his Raiders stint. He helped develop Jeffrey Simmons and Harold Landry with the Titans.
If Williams is the guy that Vrabel wants as his defensive coordinator, the Patriots could look to hire him soon. The Lions’ upset playoff loss Saturday means that their coaches can interview with teams in person for coaching and executive gigs as early as Sunday.
With Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn receiving head coach interest, though, Williams could be in line for a promotion in Detroit. So, if the Patriots don’t land Williams or opt to go in another direction, Reiss mentioned Eagles inside linebackers coach Bobby King, outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, and Titans passing-game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Chris Harris as other potential candidates for the Patriots’ defensive coordinator gig.
King, Crow, and Harris each worked with Vrabel in Tennessee. King was the Titans’ inside linebackers coach in Vrabel’s final two seasons with the team and worked with the new Patriots head coach when the two were on Bill O’Brien’s staff with the Texans in 2017. Crow was on Vrabel’s staff for all six of his seasons with the Titans, working as their outside linebacker for three years after serving as a defensive and special teams assistant. Vrabel hired Harris for his final season with the Titans.
Similar to Williams, none of those three have served as a defensive coordinator before.
It hasn’t been announced or reported yet what the Patriots plan to do with current defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But Vrabel has already indicated that there will be changes coming to the Patriots’ coaching staff.
“As with any staff, there’s going to be turnover,” Vrabel told reporters Monday. “There’s going to be new coaches, new faces – some that I will have history [with], some that I won’t. That’s what the interview process is.”
The Patriots’ defense had a notable drop in performance in the 2024 season. After ranking seventh in total defense in 2023, New England was 22nd in total defense in 2024.
So far, there haven’t been any reports of the Patriots conducting or requesting any interviews for a defensive coordinator gig. That hasn’t been the case at offensive coordinator, though. The Patriots have reportedly conducted an interview with interim Bears head coach/offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and requested to interview Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady.
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