5 takeaways from the Patriots’ new coaching staff
Now that’s it’s official, initial reactions to the New England Patriots’ 2025 coaching staff.
On Wednesday evening the New England Patriots announced their coaching staff for the 2025 NFL season. While many of the names on the staff had previously been reported, Wednesday’s announcement added titles and roles for all 27 coaches from new head coach Mike Vrabel on down.
This new staff is a near overhaul of the group the Patriots had last year. There’s a clear influence from Vrabel’s time in Tennessee, while just one staffer remains from Bill Belichick’s final year in 2023 (plus one more returning after time away).
The identity of this staff under Vrabel will become clear over time. For now, here are some takeaways for the initial announcement…
Staff size
This year’s Patriots’ coaching staff features 23 coaches working with offense, defense, and special teams with four more involved in other key operations for a total staff size of 27. Relative to the rest of the league that puts the Patriots right in the middle of the pack, with the average staff size in 2024 (not including strength and conditioning coaches) being 23.7 coaches per team.
It’s a slight increase from last season, when the Patriots had 22 offense, defense, and special teams coaches plus three more S&C coaches. In Bill Belichick’s final season in 2023 the team had 17 gameday coaches plus three more S&C coaches for a total staff size of 20.
Experience
Last year, the Patriots’ staff was relatively inexperienced. Of the 14 coaches ranking as positional coaches or higher, seven were in their roles for the first time at the NFL level.
This year, that number is almost flipped. Of the 14 such coaches on this staff, 10 have been in their role before with another team at the NFL level. That includes two of the three coordinators, as opposed to just one of three last year (with Alex Van Pelt having had the title of offensive coordinator but little play calling experience).
The four first-timers on this year’s staff are defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, defensive line coach Clint McMillan, cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton, and wide receivers coach Todd Downing. All four were with Vrabel in Tennessee.
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While Williams has never been a defensive coordinator he does have experience putting together a gameplan from last year when he was the defensive run game coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He’ll also have an experienced defensive play caller in Vrabel to work with.
As for the positional coaches, McMillan takes the step up to defensive line coach after being the assistant defensive line coach in Tennessee for the last three years. He spent two of those season working under Williams, who was the Titans defensive line coach and will bring his experience to the staff as well.
Hamilton is a first-time cornerbacks coach, but was the assistant defensive backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts last year. He’s also spent time as a safeties coach at the college level, and played safety in the NFL from 2006 to 2008.
The only assistant working with his position group primarily for the first time is Downing. He’s been an NFL coach since 2005 and has spent time as a quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach, and offensive coordinator. However, his lack of specifically wide receiver experience stands out working with a team that has historically struggled to develop players at the position, and also had a first-time NFL coach at the position last year.
Overall, this is a very experienced staff. On top of the majority of coaches having prior experience in their respective roles, the group also features four former NFL head coaches in Josh McDaniels, Doug Marrone, Ben McAdoo, and Thomas Brown.
Lack of positional assistants
While this Patriots staff is experienced, just about all the positional coaches will be tasked with leading their rooms solo. Beyond the offensive line with OL coach Doug Marrone and assistants Jason Houghtaling and Robert Kugler, there are no assistant positional coaches on the staff. The lack of positional coaches stands out in particular, where there are coaches working with a position for the first time (wide receiver and cornerback).
Some of those roles may end up being filled by the general assistants. For instance, defensive assistant Kevin Richardson coached defensive backs at the college level for the last five years and played the position collegiately at Arkansas.
However, neither of the general offensive assistants on staff – Chuckie Keeton and Riley Larkin – have experience with wide receivers. Keeton played quarterback collegiately at Utah State and has coached running backs and been an offensive analyst. Larkin has mainly worked with quarterbacks after playing the position himself at John Carroll. Either, or both, would be logical de facto assistant quarterback coaches.
Along those lines, the quarterback pipeline is deep. On top of Keeton and Larkin, McDaniels, Downing, and McAdoo all having coached quarterbacks before in addition to quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant. There should be plenty of support coaching-wise for Drake Maye and Joe Milton as they enter their sophomore seasons.
It’s possible another hire or two could be made before training camp to add depth to the staff. Keeping an eye on who the general assistants are working with during spring practices and training camp will also be notable.
Returning coaches
In total, six coaches return from last year’s staff. Five of those coaches are back in their same roles in special teams coordinator and assistant Jeremy Springer and Tom Quinn, strength and conditioning coach Deron Mayo and assistant Brian McDonough, and defensive assistant Vinny DePalma.
McAdoo is in a previously-reported new role, going from being a senior offensive assistant to a senior defensive assistant. Additionally, McDaniels returns to the Patriots for his third stint with the team after his time as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and 2023.
Springer, Quinn, and McAdoo had already been reported to be returning. The other three were confirmed to be a part of the staff on Wednesday.
Mayo’s return came as a surprise to many fans, given he is the brother of fired head coach Jerod Mayo. However, Deron’s Patriots tenure predated his brother’s – he joined the staff as the assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2018 before moving to his current role last season. He is actually now the only member of the coaching staff remaining from Belichick’s final season in 2023 (McDaniels also worked under Belichick, but hadn’t been with the team since 2021).
Those are the coaches officially returning, but one more former Patriots staffer from the Belichick era may be back in the fold as well. Greg Bedard reported earlier this week that former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will be around the team more as an advisor “on an informal basis,” with former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien also mentioning Scarnecchia’s involvement during a podcast this week. Scarnecchia, who will turn 77 next week, spent 34 seasons with the Patriots, mainly as their offensive line coach from 1999-2013 prior to his first retirement and then from 2016-2019 leading up to his most recent retirement.
Tennessee influence
Six coaches (seven if you count McDaniels) returning may be more than some people expected, but that group pales in comparison to the influx of former Titans coaches Vrabel is bringing with him from his time in Tennessee. Twelve of the 26 assistants spent at least some time on Vrabel’s staff with the Titans.
Most of that influence is on defense. Of the defensive positional coaches (and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams), only outside linebackers coach Mike Smith hasn’t coached with Vrabel before. He was previously in Minnesota where he was the outside linebackers coach and a pass rush specialist, and before that coached outside linebackers for the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.
On offense, despite speculation that McDaniels would bring ‘his guys’ in to fill the staff, there is certainly a Vrabel influence as well. Running backs Tony Dews and assistant offensive line coach Jason Houghtaling hold roles in New England they had under Vrabel in Tennessee, and Downing was a tight ends coach and later offensive coordinator there during Vrabel’s tenure.
Quinn fits into both categories, having gone from Vrabel’s Titans to the Patriots last year. He was the Titans’ special teams coordinator under Vrabel, but remains the assistant working with Springer in New England.
As for the remaining staffers, John Streicher held various roles related to assisting the head coach throughout Vrabel’s tenure in Tennessee. He’ll be Vrabel’s “right hand man” in New England, and has drawn some comparisons for former Belichick assistant Ernie Adams. Former Titans strength and conditioning coach Frank Piraino also follows Vrabel to New England, where he’ll hold a title new to the organization – director of sports performance.
