Patriots coaching rumors roundup: Who will Mike Vrabel add to his staff?
Vrabel has already reportedly interviewed several candidates for New England's OC position.
The Patriots have found their new head coach in Mike Vrabel.
But the ex-Titans coach and three-time Super Bowl champion has his work cut out for him when it comes to overhauling Jerod Mayo’s staff and augmenting New England’s personnel to his liking.
Even with Ben Johnson also reportedly set to sign on as the Chicago Bears’ new head coach, there are still five more NFL head-coaching vacancies across the league — signaling that there’s plenty of staff turnover to come from multiple franchises.
Vrabel has reportedly already decided on two of his top coordinators, with New England retaining Jeremy Springer as the team’s special teams coordinator Monday before hiring Josh McDaniels for a third stint as offensive coordinator on Tuesday.
As Vrabel and the Patriots begin the process of assembling their staff, several NFL assistants have already been linked to coveted spots on Vrabel’s coaching hierarchy.
Here’s a look at some of the latest rumblings regarding Vrabel’s efforts to bolster New England’s coaching staff.
This post will be updated regularly.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Josh McDaniels
New England reportedly has its next offensive coordinator, and it’s a familiar face.
For a third time, Josh McDaniels will take over as New England’s offensive coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“The favorite all along, he interviewed today and solidified his standing,” Rapoport added. “Now, he’ll join Mike Vrabel’s staff and work with Drake Maye.”
McDaniels is no stranger to the Patriots. The 48-year-old coach won six Super Bowls in New England while serving in various roles on Belichick’s staff across two previous stints.
He will now be tasked with reviving a Patriots offense that ranked 31st in the NFL in yards per game — while also continuing the development of Deake Maye.
Terrell Williams
It may not take very long for New England to also add a defensive coordinator to Vrabel’s staff.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, “the Patriots already have permission to interview Lions DL coach Terrell Williams for their defensive coordinator spot, have talked with him, and those in Detroit see it as a likelihood that Mike Vrabel hires him.”
Williams was already tabbed as Vrabel’s “ideal” pick to become the Patriots’ next defensive coordinator over the weekend.
Williams served on Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee from 2018-23, coaching the team’s defensive line over his first five seasons with the Titans before being appointed as assistant head coach / defensive line coach for the 2023 campaign.
Once Vrabel was fired by the Titans, Williams made the switch to Detroit this past season.
Grant Udinski
The Patriots reportedly interviewed one of the “rising stars” across NFL coaching circles this week. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that New England interviewed Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/assistant QBs coach Grant Udinski for their OC job on Monday.
This marks the fourth reported interview candidate for New England’s OC position, joining Josh McDaniels, Marcus Brady, and Thomas Brown.
Breer added that Udinski is also considered a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks’ OC position.
Udinski, 28, has been with the Vikings’ coaching staff since Kevin O’Connell took over as head coach. Udinski was part of a staff in Minnesota that helped Sam Darnold develop into a legitimate Pro Bowl QB (35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) before eventually running out of steam in the postseason.
Monday, Jan. 20
Ryan Crow
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots have requested permission to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their vacant defensive coordinator opening.
Crow has plenty of familiarity with Vrabel, as he worked on his staff in Tennessee from 2018-23 — including three seasons spent as the Titans’ outside linebackers coach.
The Dolphins saw rookie pass rusher Chop Robinson make significant strides this season under the tutelage of Crow — with the first-round pick recording six sacks during the 2024 campaign.
On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that New England formally interviewed Crow for the DC position.
Jeremy Springer
The Patriots reportedly won’t have to look for a new special teams coordinator this year, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Vrabel intends on retaining Jeremy Springer for the 2025 NFL season.
Springer was one of the few bright spots on Jerod Mayo’s coaching staff in 2024, with the first-year coordinator leading a special-teams unit that ranked second in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
So far, Springer is the only coordinator from Mayo’s staff that is reportedly set to return in 2025.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, running backs coach Taylor Embree, wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes, assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, and coaching assistant Keith Jones Jr. have all been told they won’t be returning to the Patriots in 2025.
Scott Peters
It shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise, but Mike Vrabel and Co. will have to look for a new offensive-line coach.
Scott Peters, who coached up New England’s O-line in 2024, has been hired by the Bengals to carry out the same role on Zac Taylor’s staff. Peters will also bring Michael McCarthy, his assistant in Foxborough, with him to Cincinnati.
“It’s my favorite division in all the NFL with the competitive nature and the rivalries,” Peters said of the AFC North, per the Bengals release. “I’m excited to be here in Cincinnati and doing it again from a different perspective.”
Peters’ early exit from Foxborough stands as a tough look for New England’s personnel, as Peters was seemingly viewed as coveted position coach despite the Patriots’ woeful play in the trenches in 2024.
Sunday, Jan. 19
Chip Kelly
Even though Kelly doesn’t have any ties to Vrabel, the Ohio State Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator was tabbed by Mike Reiss as a potential option as New England’s OC in 2025.
“When Vrabel was initially hired as Titans coach in 2018, then-Ohio State co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day was among those he pursued as his OC,” Reiss wrote. “Day’s mentor, Chip Kelly, currently serves as Ohio State’s OC and would be an outside-the-box possibility for Vrabel to consider.”
Kelly, who hails from New Hampshire, hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2016. But he was once viewed as one of the most coveted coaches in football — elevating his stock as the head coach at Oregon before making the jump to the NFL as head coach of the Eagles from 2013-15.
Terrell Williams
Even though the Patriots have yet to formally announce if Covington has been removed from his post, New England has already started interviewing candidates for the team’s DC position.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss,“ 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.
Williams served on Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee from 2018-23, coaching the team’s defensive line over his first five seasons with the Titans before being appointed as assistant head coach / defensive line coach for the 2023 campaign.
Once Vrabel was fired by the Titans, Williams made the switch to Detroit this past season.
John Streicher
Mike Vrabel is reportedly set to bring in his own strategist for critical situations on the gridiron.
“Sources around the NFL expect Vrabel to bring Frank Piraino, his former strength coach in Tennessee, to New England to achieve that (conditioning) goal,” Reiss reported on Sunday. “Piraino, who knows the area well from his time at Boston College, spent last season with the Giants.
“And just as Bill Belichick had football research director Ernie Adams to assist him with game management, Vrabel had John Streicher in that role with the Titans. Now, Streicher is expected to follow Vrabel to New England. Streicher, who like Vrabel is an Ohio State alum, spent the 2024 season with the Rams.”
Saturday, Jan. 18
Josh McDaniels
In a far-from-shocking development, Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is considered the “favorite” to take over as Vrabel’s OC in 2025 and beyond.
“Most people believe that Josh McDaniels, former Patriots OC, actually a couple times, still lives in New England, currently not working, would be a prime candidate for that job,” Rapoport said.
Friday, Jan. 17
Marcus Brady
As the Patriots begin their search for a new OC, New England has requested permission from the Chargers to interview pass game coordinator Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator position, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Over the span of his eight-year coaching career, Brady has put together impressive returns while working with several standout QBs.
After serving as a quarterbacks coach for Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, and Philip Rivers, Brady went on to work as an offensive coordinator for teams led by Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan. Brady worked with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia during the 2023 season as an offensive consultant before helping to coach up Justin Herbert in Los Angeles in 2024.
Thomas Brown
The Patriots reportedly ramped up their search for an OC just a day after Vrabel was introduced as head coach — with Ian Rapoport reporting that New England interviewed Chicago Bears’ interim head coach Thomas Brown on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old coach made a rapid rise up the coaching ranks this past season for Chicago. After initially being hired as Chicago’s passing game coordinator in 2024, Brown was prompted as the team’s offensive coordinator on Nov. 12 once Shane Waldron was fired. Less than three weeks later, Brown was named the team’s interim head coach after they fired Matt Eberflus.
On Tuesday, CBS’ Jonathan Jones reported that Brown could still join New England’s coaching staff — even after McDaniels’ reported hiring as OC.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com