Patriots Assistant Coaching Tracker: Terrell Williams hired as defensive coordinator

It didn't take long for Mike Vrabel to get to work. The Patriots head coach already has his right-hand man, Ryan Cowden, in the front office after securing his release from the Giants. Cowden is expected to work alongside Eliot Wolf. However, my understanding is that he will have considerable clout and that just about everything regarding football will flow through Vrabel himself. 

As for the coaching search, there have been plenty of updates over the last 24 hours or so.

Here's the scorecard. We'll continue to monitor the comings and goings, so don't hesitate to refresh this story.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

- Josh McDaniels interviewed for the position today, per sources. Many in league circles believe he remains the odds-on-favorite to land the job. He is also a favorite of ownership.

McDaniels has now been hired. More to come in a column from Bedard.

- Tuesday, Jan. 21: The search has expanded. Per Albert Breer, the Pats interviewed Minnesota assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski for the OC gig. He's 28 years old. Future wunderkind? He is also very much in the mix for the Seahawks' job as well.

- Former Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown sat down with Vrabel on Tuesday. 

- The team has completed an interview with Marcus Brady, currently with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Both Brown and Brady spent time working under Frank Reich. Brady was the Colts' OC in 2021 and 2022 and is LA's pass game coordinator. 

Brown began his coaching career as a running backs coach under Sean McVay, added the assistant head coach title a year later, then moved to tight ends coach in 2022. He left for Carolina in 2023 to be the offensive coordinator, although Reich called plays, handed them over to Brown, and then took them back. After that entire staff was fired, Brown landed in Chicago as the pass game coordinator before Matt Eberflus was dismissed. He went 1-4 at the HC.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR 

The Patriots have hired Terrell Williams to be their defensive coordinator. It will be his first time in that role. He spent six seasons under Vrabel as a well-respected defensive line coach, and later earned the title of assistant head coach. After Vrabel was fired, the Titans let him out of his contract and he worked this past season in Detroit as the run game coordinator/DL coach. I wrote about him on Monday

- The Pats have completed an interview with Dolphins' outside linebacker coach Ryan Crow for the vacant DC job. Crow is another Vrabel loyalist. He was an assistant in Tennessee from 2018-2023, starting as a general defensive coach and then assistant special teams before being promoted to the outside linebacker role. Crow was also with Vrabel at Ohio State from 2011-13.

OFFENSIVE LINE COACH

Scott Peters is one and done in New England. The Cincinnati Bengals announced that Peters would be their new offensive line coach Monday morning. Peters was Bill Callahan's right-hand man in Cleveland for four seasons prior to Callahan joining his son Brian's staff in Tennessee. Peters then made the leap to Foxborough and managed an undermanned, rag-tag group.

Peters told Bengals.com: "It's my favorite division in all the NFL with the competitive nature and the rivalries. I'm excited to be here in Cincinnati and doing it again from a different perspective.

"There's good continuity in the division, so you know the opponents well. There is familiarity with that, and that's important."

Peters is also bringing assistant Michael McCarthy from New England as well. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Can confirm NFL Network's report that Jeremy Springer is being retained as special teams coordinator. The Pats improved from 32nd and 28th in DVOA to 13th this year in Springer's first season.

- A number of league sources I've spoken to believe John Streicher will rejoin Vrabel in New England. He is currently a game management assistant in Los Angeles with the Rams. Before that, he spent six seasons in Tennessee with Vrabel serving a number of roles. The two men go back to Ohio State where Streicher was a student assistant on the defensive side of the ball.

DISMISSALS

A handful of assistant coaches from Jerod Mayo's staff have already been told their services are no longer needed. 

Tight end coach Bob Bicknell (he did a good job), wide receiver coaches Tyler Hughes and Tiquan Underwood, RBs coach Taylor Embree, and coaching assistant Keith Jones will all be elsewhere next season.

In addition, executive vice president of football business Robyn Glaser has informed the team she will resign.

- Developing -