Patriots’ Bill Belichick won’t have offensive, defensive coordinators

The Patriots won’t replace former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2022. At least not officially. 

New England officially revealed the roles of its coaching staff on Thursday, including the titles for Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Patricia will be a senior football adviser as well as the offensive line coach. Judge will be an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. 

Patricia and Judge’s addition to the offensive coaching staff has raised some eyebrows. Patricia has just two seasons coaching on the offensive side of the ball, working as an offensive assistant in 2004 and an assistant offensive line coach in 2005 with the Patriots. Judge split duties between special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach with the Patriots in 2019.

Bill Belichick hints he may lead Mac Jones, Patriots offense next season I UNDISPUTED

Bill Belichick continues to keep the Patriots offensive game-plan under wraps when it comes to who will be calling plays. When asked about it at practice yesterday Belichick said, “What plays are we calling? Minicamp plays?… We’ll get to it when we get to it.”

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick not naming an official coordinator isn’t new. When McDaniels left New England for the first time after the 2008 season, Belichick didn’t name an offensive coordinator for the 2009 season. The role was held vacant until 2011, when Bill O’Brien was named the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. McDaniels replaced O’Brien in 2012 when O’Brien left to coach Penn State. 

It was speculated following McDaniels’ departure that either O’Brien could leave Alabama to return to New England or one of Patricia or Judge would get the offensive coordinator job. 

McDaniels took some of his fellow offensive assistants with him to the Raiders, including Mick Lombardi (wide receivers coach), Bo Hardegree (offensive assistant), and Carmen Bricillo (offensive line coach). Troy Brown (wide receivers/kickoff returners coach) and Nick Caley (tight ends coach) are two of the few holdovers on the Patriots’ offensive coaching from last season. 

For the fifth straight year, the Patriots officially won’t have a defensive coordinator, either. Belichick hasn’t named an official defensive coordinator since Patricia left that post following the 2017 season to become the head coach of the Lions. 

Unlike the offensive staff, the Patriots’ defensive coaching staff remains intact from last season. Steve Belichick will coach the linebackers again as will Jerod Mayo. Brian Belichick remains the safeties coach, too.