The New England Patriots have appointed Josh McDaniels, the former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, as their new offensive coordinator. This marks his third time returning to this role with the Patriots, and it occurs for the first time following the exit of his longtime mentor, Bill Belichick.
Recently, the Patriots named Mike Vrabel as their head coach and brought on Terrell Williams, who has six years of experience on Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee, as the new defensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Jeremy Springer retains his position as the special teams coordinator for New England.
During his previous tenure as offensive coordinator, McDaniels played a crucial role in the final three seasons of Vrabel’s playing career with the Patriots. He has a long history as a trusted assistant under Belichick, having spent 15 years with him, including nine years as offensive coordinator. McDaniels was instrumental in all six of the team’s Super Bowl victories and served as the quarterbacks coach where he worked closely with Tom Brady. In his current role, he will be tasked with developing quarterback Drake Maye as he enters his second season.
Williams previously served as the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Detroit Lions last season, a time when the team’s defense permitted an impressive average of only 98.4 rushing yards per game, ranking fifth in the NFL. He was a member of Vrabel’s inaugural staff in Tennessee before being promoted to assistant head coach in 2023.
Following Vrabel’s dismissal from the Titans at the end of the 2023 season, he expressed his belief that Williams deserved to be appointed as head coach for the upcoming Senior Bowl collegiate showcase game. Vrabel praised Williams for his loyalty and impact on the Titans program over the last six years, calling him a unique teacher and developer who builds strong connections with players on both sides of the field. Vrabel also voiced his gratitude for the influence Williams had on him personally as well as on the overall team.
Under Springer’s guidance, Patriots special team player Brenden Schooler achieved the honor of first-team All-Pro and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Additionally, Marcus Jones stood out with a 14.8-yard average in punt returns, ranking second in the NFL. Before joining the Patriots, Springer was a special teams assistant with the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons and has spent eight seasons coaching at the collegiate level.
After leaving New England in 2009 to serve as head coach of the Broncos for two years and a season as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, McDaniels returned to the Patriots. He then took the head job with the Raiders, where he was dismissed after only eight games into the 2023 season.
The Patriots also conducted interviews with several candidates for the position, including Vikings assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, former interim coach of the Bears Thomas Brown, and Marcus Brady, who serves as the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
