And that internal replacement will be Bill Belichick.
The Patriots head coach will take on the defensive coordinator's responsibilities for the upcoming season, according to Boston.com. Now, not only do the Patriots not have an offensive coordinator, they don't have a defensive coordinator, either.
None of that is of any concern to Belichick.
"Titles are fine, nothing wrong with them," the coach said in a release on Patriots.com. "But the most important thing is each person's role, that we do everything we can to help the players succeed — everyone collectively getting the job done."
Quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien will assume the same title instead of being named offensive coordinator, and Corwin Brown will become a defensive coach while Pat Graham assists Belichick on defense.
The system may be different, but the Patriots are confident in it.
"It's going to work," cornerback Shawn Springs told Boston.com. "As long as Bill is in the room, we're good."
