The next branch of the Bill Belichick head coaching tree could sprout from outside the New England Patriots’ organization.
Belichick currently has three former assistants, Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, New York Giants head coach Joe Judge and Houston Texans interim head coach Romeo Crennel, leading teams after two other ex-Patriots coordinators, Bill O’Brien and Matt Patricia, were fired in October and November, respectively. Two former Patriots players, Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans) and Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals), also are head coaches.
Overall, 10 of Belichick’s former assistants have gone on to become NFL head coaches. Their results have been mixed. And that’s putting it pretty nicely.
The Patriots take on Flores’ Dolphins on Sunday in Miami. The Patriots beat the Dolphins 21-11 in Week 1, but Flores has done an impressive job in Miami as his team fights for a playoff spot with an 8-5 record after going 5-11 last season.
The whole coaching tree analogy is kind of inconsistent, but Josh McDaniels already serves as one of Belichick’s branches from his time as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010. McDaniels likely will generate interest as a head coaching candidate again this off-season despite the Patriots’ offensive inconsistencies. He has a long history of success (six rings) as New England’s top assistant coach and helped reshape the offense on the fly in 2020 with a new quarterback. They’ve been great in the running game and unable to generate much production through the air.
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who had two tenures as an assistant in New England (2000-2006, 2013-2016), is considered one of the NFL’s hottest head coaching contenders for his work with quarterback Josh Allen who has gone from frustratingly inaccurate to one of the NFL’s best passers. The Bills rank seventh in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA metric and fourth in passing DVOA.
New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham also is a former Belichick assistant. He’s done a nice job significantly improving New York’s defense under Judge. The Giants rank ninth in points allowed and 11th in total defense.
Beyond McDaniels, it’s unclear which Patriots assistant will get the next head coaching interview. Outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick was the play-caller for one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2019. The unit has taken a step back this season, but they also lost more than half of their starters to opt-outs, free agency or trades this offseason. The defense has remained competitive while playing rookies (linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche, safety Kyle Dugger and cornerback Myles Bryant), practice squad players (defensive end Tashawn Bower, defensive tackle Nick Thurman, outside linebacker Rashod Berry and linebacker Terez Hall) and a street free agent (defensive tackle Akeem Spence) in key roles. Still, there will likely be some hesitancy to hire away Bill Belichick’s son.
Inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is viewed as a rising star in coaching circles but is still green in his second year in the field. Some might see Vrabel’s success and try to replicate it with another former Patriots linebacker in Mayo. Vrabel had much more experience, rising through the college and pro ranks for seven seasons, before being hired by the Titans, however.
With no preseason, we never got to see who is the Patriots’ offensive play-caller in waiting. Usually, the next-in-command calls plays in the fourth and final exhibition game. Our guess would be quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch or tight ends coach Nick Caley would be next in line behind McDaniels. Fisch shares QB coach responsibilities with McDaniels and has NFL and college offensive coordinator experience. Caley has been a Patriots assistant since 2015. Mick Lombardi has done a nice job developing Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd as wide receivers coach, but he’s only in his second season on staff. Cole Popovich also has guided the offensive line well through a volatile season while replacing Dante Scarnecchia alongside Carmen Bricillo.
So, among those assistants under the Belichick tree, McDaniels, Daboll and Graham are probably the current top candidates to become head coaches.
Here are the former Patriots assistants currently with high-ranking titles across the NFL:
Josh Boyer (2006-2018), Dolphins defensive coordinator
Cory Undlin (2004), Lions defensive coordinator
Shane Waldron (2008-2009), Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator,
Chad O’Shea (2009-2018), Cleveland Browns’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator
George Godsey (2011-2013), Dolphins tight end coach
Jerry Schuplinski (2013-2018), New York Giants quarterbacks coach
Dave DeGuglielmo (2014-2015), Giants offensive line coach
Brendan Daly (2014-2018), Kansas City Chiefs run game coordinator and defensive line coach
Raymond Ventrone (2015-2017), Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator
Bret Bielema (2018-2019), Giants outside linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant.
Brian Ferentz (2009-2011), Iowa’s offensive coordinator, another former Patriots assistant, is coaching in the college ranks.
