Patriots move on from popular, successful defensive coach

The New England Patriots are overhauling their coaching staff under Mike Vrabel, and with that comes unfortunate casualties.

Cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino is among them. According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Pellegrino will not return to the Patriots in the 2025 season, bringing his run to an end after six seasons in that role. Pellegrino originally joined the Pats as a coaching assistant in 2015, before becoming CBs coach in 2019.

In Pellegrino's first season coaching cornerbacks, Stephon Gilmore elevated himself from First-Team All-Pro to Defensive Player of the Year, while undrafted corner J.C. Jackson emerged as a playmaking threat in the secondary with five interceptions. Jackson later became a Second Team All-Pro in 2021, as he led the NFL with 23 pass breakups.

Most recently, Pellegrino coached up Patriots 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, who in his second season earned Second Team All-Pro honors. Under Pellegrino's watch, former Bills castoff Alex Austin elevated from mid-season walk-on to dependable corner over the past two seasons.

The Patriots recently hired former Illinois assistant defensive backs coach Kevin Richardson II to Vrabel's staff, which invited questions of Pellegrino's status. Pellegrino and safeties coach Brian Belichick are both moving on from the Patriots this off-season. Richardson's role is unclear at this point.

Gonzalez remains in the fold as an anchor of the Patriots' cornerback group. They could still stand to add a potential starter opposite him, whether in free agency or the draft. The hope is that they won't take a step back in terms of their preparation and execution under a new cornerbacks coach.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.