Vrabel Regime Underway With Coordinator Hires: Patch Patriots Roundup

FOXBOROUGH, MA — After one year away from Bill Belichick, it appears as if Patriots brass wanted a little bit of that old thing back.

After the hiring of Patriot Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel as head coach, the Patriots coaching staff is beginning to fill out with the hiring of defensive and offensive coordinators this week.

The first move was OC, in which Vrabel hired familiar face Josh McDaniels, who for years was with Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady as coordinator.

Though McDaniels hasn't proven successful as a head coach, his resume as a coordinator is stellar. He began as OC in New England in 2006, coordinating one of the greatest NFL offenses in 2007. He left New England after three years for the Denver Broncos head coaching job, but returned to New England in 2012.

The Patriots, of course, won three Super Bowls over that time, but perhaps his one season with Mac Jones should give New England fans the most hope about what he can bring to Drake Maye and the offense moving forward.

Jones had his best year as a pro in 2021 with McDaniels as his coordinator. Now, McDaniels will be tasked with providing the same stability and offensive creativity for Maye in his second year and beyond.

• Read more: Josh McDaniels To Return As Patriots Offensive Coordinator: Reports

As for defensive coordinator, Vrabel has hired longtime assistant Terrell Williams, who was on his staff for six seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

According to the Patriots, Williams' NFL coaching career started in 2012 as the defensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders (2012-14). He then spent three seasons (2015-17) as the defensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins before Vrabel hired him to be his defensive line coach in 2018.

Vrabel added assistant head coach to his title in 2023.

In 2024, Williams was with the Detroit Lions as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator.

The team also retained special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer. Springer's 2024 unit featured standouts Brenden Schooler and Marcus Jones.

Schooler earned first team All-Pro honors and his first invitation to the Pro Bowl while Jones finished second in the NFL with a 14.8-yard average on 26 punt returns, the team said.

Maye Surprises Military Vet With Super Bowl Tickets

Drake Maye made an impact on the field during his rookie season with the New England Patriots. Now, the rookie quarterback is making an impact off the field, too.

Maye, The American Legion and USSA teamed up to present U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Matt Jabaut with two tickets to this year's Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Jabaut served in the army for nearly a decade, earning the Expert Field Medical Badge. He completed a combat tour in 2002-2003 to Kuwait and Iraq, and later served as an instructor at the Joint Medical Training Center in Fort Lewis, Washington.

Jabaut now lives in Lewiston, Maine, where he has been employed in human resources since retiring from the military. He remains an active member of Post 202 of The American Legion in Maine, where he is passionate about mentoring and developing the Legion’s next generation of leaders.

As for the Super Bowl trip, Jabaut and his fiancé, Caroline, also a military veteran, will be making the trip together.

• Read more: Patriots QB Drake Maye Gifts New England Veteran Super Bowl Tickets