L-R: Former Patriots offensive coordinator and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach, and former Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich. (Credit L-R, Gary A. Vasquez, Bob Self, Kirby Lee, and Denny Simmons, via USA Today Network)
In a surprising move reported on Thursday night, Bill O’Brien is leaving the New England Patriots to join the coaching staff at Ohio State as the Buckeyes’ new offensive coordinator. Just like that, the Patriots are now officially in need of a new offensive coordinator.
Now, the Patriots are beginning their third offensive coordinator search in as many years. The job had been stable for a long time in New England, with Josh McDaniels holding it form 2012 to 2021 (after first doing so from 2005 to 2008). In total only three people ever held the title in New England in the Belichick era – McDaniels, O’Brien and Charlie Weis (from 2000-2004).
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After McDaniels departed to take the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job following the 2021 season, the Patriots struggled to replace him. Matt Patricia didn’t get the title in 2022 but held offensive play-calling duties, and the offensive production dropped to 18.1 points per game when taking out the team’s league-high eight non-offensive touchdowns.
Last year the Patriots turned to O’Brien to fix the offense, and gave him the offensive coordinator title. However the offensive was even less productive under him, ranking 31st in scoring averaging 13.9 points per game while failing to crack the 30-point mark at all during the season.
That brings us to now. The Patriots need to find their fourth offensive play-caller in four years. This time though there’s a new hiring structure in place led by first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
Publicly Mayo’s offensive preferences and tendencies are unknown, making narrowing down potential candidates tough. Even in terms of background, the Patriots can be focused in one of two directions – either a young first-time OC who is an unknown but could innovate the offense, or an experienced coach (perhaps even with head coaching ability) who can be a ‘head coach of the offense’ and put less on the plate of a first-time head coach with a defensive background in Mayo.
With that we’ll cast a wide net of names to know, first looking at potential Patriots-connected coaches, other big names available, and then some long-shots.
Josh McDaniels
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 07: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the game at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
McDaniels is the only person who has been even loosely linked to this job. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last weekend that Mayo would likely consider McDaniels if O’Brien didn’t stay with the Patriots. At the same time, McDaniels is viewed as a candidate to join Bill Belichick wherever he ends up. One strong point for McDaniels getting the job is the Patriots likely wouldn’t have to worry about rapid turnover at the position – something especially important if they’re going to draft a quarterback in the first round with plans to start him.
Chad O’Shea
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 31: Cleveland Browns wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea smiles during warmups before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
If Mayo wants a coach from the ‘Dynasty Era’ of Patriots football but McDaniels goes with Belichick, O’Shea would be a logical hire. He was the wide receivers coach in New England from 2009-2018. He followed Brian Flores to Miami as his offensive coordinator in 2019, and since 2020 has been the wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator for the Browns.
Zac Robinson
Jul 26, 2023; Irvine, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson during training camp at UC Irvine. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
We now move on to some of the top up-and-coming coordinator candidates available, starting with those who have loose Patriots ties. That includes Robinson, who was drafted by the team in the seventh round in 2010. After a brief NFL career as a backup quarterback he worked for PFF as an analyst before getting into coaching joining the Los Angeles Rams’ staff in 2019. He’s currently the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Sean McVay.
Shane Waldron
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 29: Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron of the Seattle Seahawks looks on prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field on October 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
After playing college football at Tufts, Waldron worked for the Patriots for two years as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 and then as the tight ends coach in 2009. He’s held a number of different jobs since then, and after spending 2017-2020 in various roles on the Rams’ offensive coaching staff was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2021. He still technically holds that job, but change is expected on that staff with the departure of Pete Carroll.
Wes Welker
Aug 20, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins receivers coach Wes Welker, left, with wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (17) and Tyreek Hill (10) during a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Welker has built up quite the coaching pedigree since retiring from football in 2015. After starting off as an offensive assistant in Houston he was the wide receivers coach for the 49ers from 2019-2021, then followed Mike McDaniel to Miami where he’s held the same job for the last two years. Last week Tyreek Hill vouched for him to get a shot at a bigger job, will the Patriots be the team to give him that chance?
Keenan McCardell
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated Vikings the 26-20. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Patriots interviewed McCardell – who has been the Vikings’ wide receivers coach since 2021 – for their offensive coordinator opening last year (Mayo reportedly was a part of that interview process). He previously held the same position with the Jaguars, and before that was the wide receivers coach at Maryland where he overlapped with both Stefon Diggs and D.J. Moore.
Shawn Jefferson
Dec 13, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
A member of the Patriots All-90s team, the Patriots also interviewed Jefferson for the opening last year. At the time he was an associate head coach/wide receivers coach with the Cardinals. For the 2023 season he joined the Carolina Panthers’ staff as a wide receivers coach. A few stops prior to joining the Panthers he was with the Detroit Lions where he worked with Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, who called him “the best wide receivers coach I’ve ever seen in the league.“
Nick Caley
Jun 14, 2023; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley during minicamp at Cal Lutheran University. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots also interviewed Caley for their offensive coordinator job last year. He’d been with the Patriots since 2015, and had been the tight ends coach since 2017. However he didn’t get the job and left to take the tight ends coach job with the Rams.
Tee Martin
Tennessee Assistant Head Coach Tee Martin walks on the field during Tennessee football practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. (Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel via Imagn Content Services)
Now we’re onto true outside hires, although Martin is unofficially tied to the Patriots as one of ‘The Brady Six‘ – the six quarterbacks taken ahead of Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. Since getting drafted 36 spots ahead of the GOAT, Martin played a six-year pro career then got into coaching. Most of his experience is at the college level but he moved to the NFL in 2021 when he was hired as the Ravens’ wide receivers coach – he then became the team’s quarterbacks coach this season.
Texans positional coaches
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 23: Wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels of the Houston Texans looks on as the team warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Texans 38-20. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
This one is a bit vague for now, but here’s why. Houston offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik turned the Texans’ offense, built around a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, into one of the best in the NFL this year, and is in line for a head coaching job this cycle. When he’s gone there are two likely in-house candidates to replace him – quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson and wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels. Whoever doesn’t get promoted, the Patriots could and should target.
Johnson is in his first year as the Texans’ QB coach. He previously was the assistant QB coach in Minnesota, and played the position professionally for seven years. McDaniels – who is the younger brother of Josh McDaniels – has been in his current role for two years, and first started coaching in the NFL since 2009 (with some brief stops at the college level mixed in).
Liam Coen
Nov 20, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome. Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Coen is a local guy who is from Warwick, Rhode Island and played college football at UMass (where he was roommates with Victor Cruz). He began coaching at the college level in 2010, and was first hired by an NFL team in 2018 when he became the Rams assistant wide receivers coach. Since then he’s bounced between the Rams and the University of Kentucky, serving as an offensive coordinator in both spots. He currently holds that job at Kentucky.
Dan Pitcher
Nov 21, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Pitcher has an interesting background. He’s been the Bengals quarterbacks coach since 2020, and been on Cincinnati’s offensive staff since 2016. Prior to that he was with the Colts for four years, but as a scout rather than as a coach. He played the game collegiately and was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy (the Division III Heisman) in 2011 when he was the quarterback for SUNY Cortland. While there, he overlapped with recent Patriots staffer Evan Rothstein, who was on the Red Dragons’ coaching staff at the time.
Frank Reich
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Frank Reich of the Carolina Panthers looks on during the second half of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 26, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Now we’re getting into some of the more long-shot candidates, although Reich would make a lot of sense for the Patriots if he’s interested in the job. He was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers in 2014 and 2015, when held the same job for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 and 2017. His performance in that role led to his first head coaching job with the Colts from 2018-2022.
After taking the Colts to the playoffs twice in five years Reich was let go, but the next year was a head coach again – this time with the Panthers. After a 1-10 start Carolina one-and-done’d him this past season. Being fired twice in two years will likely make it hard for him to get another head coaching job for now, but his offensive coordinator record is still strong – especially his work with quarterbacks. If the Patriots want a ‘head coach of the offense’ type of offensive coordinator, he’d be a fit.
Kellen Moore
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 01: Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at SoFi Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
This time two years ago, Kellen Moore seemed on track for a head coaching job. He’d been the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator since 2019 and the group had performed relatively well. At the end of last season he parted ways with the Cowboys and joined the Chargers in the same role only for the offense to sputter in 2023. Now with a new, to-be-named head coach taking over in Los Angeles Moore’s future is uncertain. Still viewed as one of the best young minds in the game, if he becomes available teams will come calling. Will the Patriots be one of them?
Brian Hartline
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 23: Offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 23, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Part of what made the O’Brien to Ohio State move so surprising is Ohio State already has a titled offensive coordinator in Hartline. He was promoted to that job last year, after having been on the staff as a wide receivers coach since 2018. Hartline – a former NFL receiver himself – is viewed as one of the top receiver developers in the sport, which is clear when looking at the talent at the position that has come out of Columbus during his time there. If O’Brien is now the OC, does that mean Hartline’s role is being reduced under O’Brien? Will he look to leave all together? If he does he should have plenty of interest at both the college and pro levels.
Kliff Kingsbury
The former Arizona Cardinals head coach and now USC Trojans assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury talks to quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during the pregame warmup before playing the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 23, 2023. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic/USA Today Network)
After getting fired by the Cardinals at the end of last season Kingsbury said he was going to take a year off – only to show up as a ‘senior offensive analyst’ on Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC. It’s a pretty good gig, and he’ll probably pick his spot if and when he leaves. He interviewed with the Chicago Bears this week for their OC job, which could reunite him with USC quarterback and projected first overall pick Caleb Williams.
Realistically Kingsbury is probably looking for the fastest path back to a head coaching role. Would coming to New England – the team that drafted him in the sixth round in 2003 – afford him that opportunity? And if he were to join the Patriots, how quickly would he be looking to leave for his next job?
