Nine Potential Coaching Staff Additions After Patriots Hire Mike Vrabel

Editor’s note: This story initially was published before the New England Patriots announced the hiring of head coach Mike Vrabel on Sunday. Aspects of the original story have been changed to reflect New England’s official announcement.

Original story: New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Do you guys like the sound of that?

It’s official at this point. Patriots owner Robert Kraft already has and will continue to receive criticism for his approach to the process, but at the end of the day, we’ll all move with an eye toward how the rest of the staffing decisions that need to be made.

We decided to take a look at notable names who could join him in Foxboro, Mass.

OFFENSIVE STAFF

Josh McDaniels
McDaniels is a name that has been floated over the last several days, whether you like it or not.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported there was “buzz” that a union could eventually come to fruition, and while the play-calling aspect to things is enough to make fans feel uneasy, there’s no doubt the 48-year-old knows how to develop young quarterbacks. Vrabel’s former offensive coordinators from his days with the Tennessee Titans (Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith, Todd Downing and Tim Kelly) are either preoccupied or unfit for the job, so perhaps he could look for a proven commodity. It’s unlikely you’d have to worry about him leaving for a head coaching gig, either.

Tommy Rees
Rees is the opposite of a proven commodity, but he’s been exploding up the coaching ranks over the last several seasons — holding game-planning roles with Notre Dame, Alabama and the Cleveland Browns since 2020.

Vrabel and Rees worked together with tight ends last season in Cleveland, so they’ve obviously developed a relationship. Is it enough for the latter to earn such a monumental promotion, though?

Luke Steckel
Steckel is a longtime assistant of Vrabel, who jumped around to coach with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders over the last two seasons. Las Vegas is surely pleased with the job he did coaching rookie record-setter Brock Bowers, but perhaps the 39-year-old would like to return to something familiar with his former boss.

New England currently has another former member of those early staffs in Tennessee (Bob Bicknell) coaching tight ends, but even if he’s retained you could bring in Steckel to aid elsewhere on the offense.

Tony Dews
Dews is the preferred running backs coach of Vrabel, so this one feels very obvious as he’ll also be looking for a job after the New York Jets clean house.

DEFENSIVE STAFF

Shane Bowen
Bowen is currently the defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, but that might not last very long. Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi floated him as a potential candidate to join Vrabel at One Patriot Place if he were to get fired.

It’s probably a safe bet.

Zak Kuhr
Kuhr has essentially followed Bowen around for the last several seasons and has history coaching on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Why not?

Anthony Levine Sr.
Levine might not have fond memories of playing at Gillette Stadium from his time with the Baltimore Ravens (he’s the guy who got beat to the end zone by Danny Amendola on that famed double pass from Julian Edelman) but he has familiarity with others on this hypothetical staff.

Levine spent the last two seasons coaching in Tennessee and perhaps could be given an opportunity to coach on the defensive side of the ball on a new staff.

Bryan Cox
Yes, we’re talking about that Bryan Cox.

Cox, who won a Super Bowl during his lone season in New England, has bounced around the coaching world over the last decade-plus. Vrabel hasn’t yet worked with him, but perhaps spending time with Bowen in New York this past season could lead to a reunion between the two former teammates.

SPECIAL TEAMS STAFF

Tom Quinn
Quinn and Vrabel worked together for one season in 2023, and after doing a great job alongside Jeremy Springer as the special teams coaches in New England in 2024, perhaps they all decide to keep things the same heading into 2025.