New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots have essentially finished the heavy lifting when it comes to their coaching staff, but the job isn’t finished.
Mike Vrabel reportedly has the foundational pieces in place, with Josh McDaniels (offensive coordinator), Terrell Williams (defensive coordinator) and Jeremy Springer special teams coordinator) all set to be his direct reports. New England reportedly also started bringing aboard other names, with Tony Dews, John Streicher and Frank Piraino expected to join the staff.
It’ll take a few weeks before things are finalized, though.
New England still needs to fill in the gaps with more position coaches and support staff, and we have a few names that fit what the club appears to be looking for:
Outten, 41, was the run-game coordinator/running backs coach with the Tennessee Titans back in 2023, before moving on to coach tight ends after Vrabel was fired and Brian Callahan slid into the head coaching role. Outten previously spent stints with the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons, with the former stop being as offensive coordinator. Tennessee recently allowed his contract to expire, so he’s a free agent.
New England already brought in a versatile position coach with experience alongside this staff, so it’s safe to say that something is being coveted. Outten makes almost too much sense.
McMillan, 39, is another guy who has experience with this staff. The Titans kept him on after three seasons working directly with Williams and Vrabel, adding “pass-rush specialist” to his title this past season. Patriots director of skill development Joe Kim — who spent the last seven years tutoring pass-rushers and helping develop younger coaches — decided not to stay with this staff, so there’s an opening.
Brown, 38, is perhaps the biggest splash they could make that will appear on this list. The Chicago Bears tabbed him as their interim head coach for the final five games of 2024, and the expectation is that he’ll land an offensive coordinating gig elsewhere, but after interviewing him for their opening there’s a sliver of hope he could join New England.
The Patriots likely would have to give him a passing-game coordinator title, but the value in his versatility as a former position coach (running backs and tight ends) is undeniable.
Hardegree, 40, has bounced around as a quarterbacks coach throughout the last several seasons, holding that title with the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee. McDaniels’ return could open the door up for Hardegree, who was an offensive assistant for the Patriots in 2021.
O’Hara, 56, essentially is the other option for quarterbacks coach, having held that title under Vrabel from 2019-2023. It’s pretty much a matter of preference between O’Hara and Hardegree.
