L-R: Josh McDaniels, Steve Belichick, Zac Robinson. All three are viewed as candidates for the 2024 Patriots coach staff. (via USA Today Images)
The 2024 NFL coaching carousel has taken a surprising turn – one that could have major implications on the New England Patriots’ 2024 coaching staff.
On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Atlanta Falcons are expected to hire Raheem Morris as their next head coach. Morris is currently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.
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Morris’ hire comes after the Falcons interviewed 14 candidates for the job. That includes former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who met with the Falcons twice and at one point was viewed as a strong favorite to land the job.
Now, Belichick remains without a team. Between the Belichick ties and Morris’ ties to the Rams, this hire could impact the Patriots’ coordinator search – as well as their hiring of positional coaches – in a number of ways.
The first is Belichick’s continued ‘free agent’ status. With the Falcons job filled there are only two head coach openings left in the NFL – the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks. Belichick hasn’t interviewed with either team (in fact, the Falcons are the only team he spoke with), and early in the process it was reported the Commanders aren’t interested in hiring him.
It now looks like there’s a real chance Belichick could be without a head coaching job in 2024. It’s hard to say what would happen if that was the case – would he take another job as senior advisor? Work in media? Take the year off and come back in 2025? Or just outright retire? From the outside looking in, all options seem realistic at this point.
Oct 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
As long as Belichick isn’t employed, the status of some of his former coaches in New England remains up in the air. When it seemed like he was heading to Atlanta, it felt like a foregone conclusion that some coaches would simply follow him. That group included is sons Steve Belichick and Brian Belichick, as well as special teams coaches Joe Judge and Cam Achord.
If those coaches don’t have a team to follow Belichick too, it changes the dynamic a bit. It’s simpler for Judge and Achord – the Patriots have been interviewing potential special teams coordinators (including current Falcons STC Marquice Williams) without any formal parting of ways with either of the two incumbents, which suggests new head coach Jerod Mayo plans on going in another direction. To make that official now though the Patriots may have to fire Judge and Achord (if they are still under contract).
It’s a little different with Belichick’s sons. The team has been interviewing candidates who would fit their job descriptions (Steve was a linebackers coach and de facto co-defensive coordinator last year, Brian was the safeties coach), but at the same time it’s been reported they’ve been offered opportunities to return to New England.
The return of either Belichick could come in a new role. ESPN’s Mike Reiss suggested over the weekend that, while the Patriots are interviewing potential defensive coordinators, Steve Belichick could end up in an “assistant head coach/senior adviser type” of role.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 14: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands with linebackers coach Steve Belichick on the sideline at Gillette Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Then, there’s the coach from outside the organization many expected Belichick to hire – offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. If Belichick doesn’t end up getting a job, McDaniels would be very much in play for the Patriots’ OC job. Jeff Howe of The Athletic recently reported that McDaniels would “jump to the top of the list” of the Patriots’ OC search if he didn’t end up going with Belichick.
That may end up being good news for the Patriots, as the Mostert hire could take two of their other candidates off the market. According to Howe, Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson – who has interviewed with the Patriots – is a “strong candidate” to go with Morris in going from LA to Atlanta to be his offensive coordinator. Another Patriots interviewee, Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, could also be brought over to that staff.
If that were to happen, it would mean all of the coaches known to have interviewed for the Patriots’ OC position would have taken other jobs. The only other two they spoke with in addition to Robinson and Caley were Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher (promoted to OC in Cincinnati) and Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (hired by the Chicago Bears).
So with two head coaching hires left, the waiting game will continue in New England to fill out the coordinator jobs. However, it continues under potentially very different context than it did prior to Thursday.
