The New England Patriots’ coaching staff could see a major overhaul after their postseason has concluded.
There’s a “good chance” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia leave for head-coaching jobs, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday. Linebackers coach Brian Flores, who was expected to take over at defensive coordinator when Patricia leaves, is “very much in play” to be the Arizona Cardinals’ next head coach, league sources told Schefter.
Patricia reportedly is in the mix to be the next head coach of the New York Giants or the Detroit Lions. McDaniels reportedly has interviewed with the Giants and Indianapolis Colts.
Flores, a former Boston College linebacker, has been with the Patriots since 2004, when he started out as a scouting assistant. He became a pro scout in 2006 and moved to the coaching staff as a special teams assistant in 2008. He was elevated to assistant offense and special teams coach in 2010, defensive assistant in 2011, safeties coach in 2012 and linebackers coach in 2016.
It’s rare for a positional coach to be plucked away as a head coach without coordinator experience, but Flores, 36, is considered a promising coaching prospect.
There’s no obvious candidate on the Patriots’ coaching staff to be the defensive coordinator in waiting if Flores leaves, though cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer has been with the team since 2006.
Outside candidates could include Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and former Dallas Cowboys linebackers coach Matt Eberflus.
