Patriots Hiring Ex-Southwest Mississippi Interim Head Coach As Assistant

The Southwest Mississippi Community College athletic department broke some New England Patriots news earlier this month without it making it a ripple.

The Southwest Bears athletics website announced April 3 their interim football head coach, Cam Achord, had resigned to take a coaching position with the Patriots.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Sunday that Achord has “ties” to Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge from Mississippi. Ray Ventrone, who served as the Patriots’ assistant special teams coach from 2015 to 2017, left to become the Indianapolis Colts’ special teams coach this offseason.

Achord, who was Southwest Mississippi’s offensive coordinator in 2017 and coached the Bears’ special teams, quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends while serving as recruiting coordinator, could overtake Ventrone’s old duties.