Another Patriots position coach is returning for 2024
New England Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino walks onto the practice field behind Gillette Stadium for training camp practice on August 2, 2023. (Jim Louth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Momentum is building for the New England Patriots to ‘get the band back together’ with their defensive coaching staff. For the second time in as many days, a long-time member of the staff was reported to be coming back for 2024.
On Thursday night, ESPN’s Mike Reiss shared that cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino will be back with the team for the upcoming season. This comes a day after Reiss reported that safeties coach Brian Belichick will be back with the Patriots next year as well.
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Pellegrino, 30, has been with the Patriots since joining the team as a coaching assistant in 2015. He was named the cornerbacks coach in 2019.
With Pellegrino back, the Patriots are keeping continuity with what had been a highly-successful defensive coaching staff the last few years. In addition to Pellegrino and Belichick both Jerod Mayo and DeMarcus Covington will be back in the building, but in new roles – Mayo was promoted from linebackers coach/de facto co-defensive coordinator to head coach, and Covington from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator.
Now that Pellegrino is confirmed to be back, the Patriots have just one opening left on their defensive staff – they’ve yet to hire a new linebacker coach to replace Mayo and Steve Belichick, who left to take a DC job at the college level. There are also multiple openings still on the offensive staff. To keep up-to-date with the Patriots’ coaching staff hirings, bookmark our Patriots coaching staff tracker.
Patriots coaching staff tracker: Building out the staff
Offensive coaching staff
Akron Beacon JournalBrowns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt directs the offense during training camp, Aug. 5, 2022 in Berea. (Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal)
Offensive coordinator: Alex Van Pelt
Quarterbacks coach: T.C. McCartney
Running backs coach: Taylor Embree
Wide receivers coach: Unknown (no official parting of ways with Troy Brown)
Assistant wide receivers coach: Tiquan Underwood
Tight ends coach: Vacant
Offensive line coach: Scott Peters
Assistant offensive line coach: Robert Kugler
Offensive assistant: Ben McAdoo
Offensive assistant: Michael McCarthy
The Patriots completed their coordinator search by hiring Van Pelt, a former NFL quarterback. Now, they begin the process of filling out his staff. Here’s a look at who they’ve been linked to for positional coaching roles…
— Robert Kugler (former Carolina Panthers assistant offensive line coach)
— Ben McAdoo (former New York Giants head coach)
— T.C. McCartney (former Cleveland Browns coach)
x — Andy Dickerson (hired by Cleveland Browns)
Patriots’ offensive coordinator interviews…
— Scott Turner (Las Vegas Raiders pass game coordinator)
— Klint Kubiak (San Francisco 49ers pass game coordinator)
— Luke Getsy (former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator)
— Brian Fleury (San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach)
— Tanner Engstrand (Detroit Lions pass game coordinator)
— Jerrod Johnson**** (Houston Texans quarterbacks coach)
— Thomas Brown***** (Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator)
— Nick Caley (Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach)
— Zac Robinson*** (Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach)
— Dan Pitcher** (Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach)
— Shane Waldron* (Seahawks offensive coordinator)
*Waldron was hired as the Chicago Bears OC after interviewing with the Patriots
**Pitcher was promoted to the Bengals’ OC job, replacing new Titans head coach Brian Callahan
***Robinson was hired as the Atlanta Falcons OC after interviewing with the Patriots
****Johnson is staying in Houston in his current role
*****Brown was hired as the Chicago Bears pass game coordinator after interviewing with the Patriots
Defensive coaching staff
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsDec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive coordinator: DeMarcus Covington
Defensive line coach: Jerry Montgomery
Inside linebackers coach: Dont’a Hightower
Outside linebackers coach: Drew Wilkins
Cornerbacks coach: Mike Pellegrino
Safeties coach: Brian Belichick
The Patriots named Covington their defensive coordinator, promoting him from within (he was previously the defensive line coach). Mayo and Covington now will go through the process of building out the rest of the staff. Above are coaches they’ve interviewed for positional roles since officially promoting Covington, and below is a look at the other coaches the Patriots interviewed for the DC role, who could be candidates for positional coaching jobs.
— Jerry Montgomery (former Green Bay Packers defensive line coach & run game coordinator)
— Gerald Alexander (Pittsburgh Steelers assistant defensive backs coach)
— Michael Hodges (New Orleans Saints linebackers coach)
— Christian Parker (Denver Broncos defensive backs coach)
— Tem Lukabu (Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach)
Special teams staff
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsJun 2, 2022; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams special teams assistant coach Jeremy Springer during organized team activities at California Lutheran University. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Special teams coordinator: Jeremy Springer
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported the Patriots are hiring Springer as their new special teams coordinator. The team has had multiple special teams coaches in the past, so look for him to add one or two assistants to his staff. The only other coach the Patriots interviewed for special teams who hasn’t taken another job yet is Thomas McGaughey.
