Patriots Offseason Tracker: Patriots announce all three coordinators after Van Pelt hire

The Patriots are going to be busy filling out an entire coaching staff and, perhaps, some front-office positions. We'll put all the latest here.

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Coordinators are done with this release from the club:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today three new additions to Jerod Mayo’s staff. DeMarcus Covington has been promoted to defensive coordinator, Jeremy Springer will serve as special teams coordinator and Alex Van Pelt will serve as offensive coordinator.

DEMARCUS COVINGTON

Covington is entering his eighth season overall with New England in 2024 after serving as the defensive line coach for the last four seasons (2020-23). He served as outside linebackers coach in 2019 after two seasons as a coaching assistant (2017-18). The Patriots defense finished in the top 10 in four of his five seasons as a position coach. Last season, the Patriots defense finished fourth against the run, allowing 93.2 yards per game, the team’s best finish since allowing 88.6 yards per game in 2016. The Patriots defense allowed 3.3 yards per rush, the lowest in the NFL in 2023 and the lowest mark for the Patriots since the 1970 merger.

Covington originally joined New England in 2017 after spending the 2016 season as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Eastern Illinois. Prior to his time at Eastern Illinois, Covington coached the defensive line at University of Tennessee-Martin in 2015. He spent two seasons (2013-14) as a defensive graduate assistant at Ole Miss, and in 2012, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Following the 2022 season, Covington was selected to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Senior Bowl’s American team. Covington played collegiately as a wide receiver for Samford University, where he registered 62 receptions for 586 yards and two touchdowns.

JEREMY SPRINGER

Springer joins the New England Patriots after spending the last two seasons as a special teams assistant with the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to entering the NFL in 2022 with the Rams, Springer spent eight seasons coaching at the collegiate level. 

Following his college career (2007-11) as a standout linebacker at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Springer began his career as a football operations assistant at UTEP for two seasons (2011-12) before serving two seasons (2015-14) at the school as a graduate assistant coach where he worked with the defensive line and special teams units.

Springer spent three seasons at Texas A&M as a special teams quality control coach (2015-17), three seasons at Arizona as special teams coordinator (2018-20) and one season at Marshall as special teams coordinator (2021) before joining the Rams.

Springer is a native of Los Fresnos, Texas.

ALEX VAN PELT

Van Pelt will enter his 29th season in the NFL and his 20th as an assistant coach. He played nine seasons as a quarterback in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs (1993) and the Buffalo Bills (1994-03) after originally being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the eighth-round of the 1993 NFL Draft after a standout career at Pittsburgh.

Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns over the last four seasons (2020-23). During his time in Cleveland, Van Pelt helped the offense to some of its best numbers with the Browns generating 408 total points in 2020 for the second-most points in team history and 396 points in 2023, the team’s fifth-most points scored in a season in team history. Under Van Pelt, the Browns rushing game finished in the top-10 in the NFL in three of his four seasons, including finishing with third in 2016 and in first in rushing average in 2021 with 5.1-yards per rush. The 2022 Cleveland team had the second-most scrimmage yards in franchise history with 6,200 yards.

Upon his retirement as a player, Van Pelt began his coaching career in NFL Europe as the Frankfurt Galaxy’s quarterbacks coach in 2005. Van Pelt started his NFL career as a volunteer offensive quality coach with Buffalo in 2005. He then served two seasons as an offensive quality control coach (2006-07), two seasons as a quarterback coach (2008-09) and was promoted in early September of 2009 to offensive coordinator.

Van Pelt served as the quarterback coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons (2010-11) and then spent six seasons with the Green Bay Packers as running backs coach (2012-13), quarterbacks coach (2014), quarterbacks/wide receivers coach (2015) and quarterbacks coach (2016-17). He spent two seasons (2018-19) as quarterbacks coach with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to joining Cleveland.

Van Pelt was a four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92), where he set school records for most passing yards (11,267), completions (867) and attempts (1,503).

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UPDATED LISTS (with other known interviews, team made another hire)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Nick Caley, Rams TE coach (pending 2nd interview)
Thomas Brown, Panthers OC (Bears, Steelers)
Jerrod Johnson, Texans QBs (Eagles, Steelers, Saints, Browns)
Tanner Engstrand, Lions passing game coordinator
Brian Fleury, 49ers TE coach
Luke Getsy, formerly Bears OC (Raiders)
Dan Pitcher, Bengals QBs coach (Saints 2x, Raiders, Panthers) HIRED BY BENGALS
Shane Waldron, Seahawks OC (Saints, Bears) HIRED BY BEARS
Zac Robinson, Rams passing game coordinator/QBs coach (Bears, Raiders, Steelers) - HIRED BY ATL

Others getting interest around the league:

Kliff Kingsbury, USC (Eagles, Bears)
Greg Roman, former Ravens OC (Bears)
Brian Johnson, formerly Eagles OC
Mike Sullivan, Steelers QB coach (Raiders, Saints)
Alex Van Pelt, former Browns OC (Raiders)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

DeMarcus Covington, Patriots DL coach - HIRED PATRIOTS
Christian Parker, Broncos DB coach
Michael Hodges, Saints LB coach
Tem Lukabu, Panthers OLB coach
Gerald Alexander, Steelers DB coach HIRED RAIDERS SAFETIES

SPECIAL TEAMS

Thomas McGaughey, Giants special teams coordinator
Jeremy Springer, Rams assistant special teams coach
Marquice Williams, Falcons special teams coordinator (Requested; Giants - blocked) HIRED BY ATL

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January 29 - The search for the Patriots offensive coordinator has grown to 11. The latest two men added to the list are 49ers assistant Klint Kubiak and Raiders assistant Scott Turner.

Kubiak is a name you're probably familiar with. His dad, Gary, has four Super Bowl rings including one as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2015. Klint is the passing game coordinator under Kyle Shanahan and has helped shepherd Brock Purdy from Mr. Irrelevant to an NFC Champion QB. Before that, Kubiak was a playcaller in multiple stops. He was the OC for the 2021 Minnesota Vikings, taking over for his father after he retired, and then he was back calling plays a year later, filling the role in Denver once Nathaniel Hackett was fired. Kubiak has drawn interest from the Raiders, Saints, and Bears to fill their OC vacancy, although Chicago eventually went with Shane Waldron. Kubiak also has experience running the QB room - he was the QB coach for the Vikings in 2019. Reportedly, he has already had his first interview.

As for Turner, Albert Breer reports that the two sides are expected to speak this week. Like Kubiak, Turner is the passing game coordinator, working in Vegas. And like Kubiak, he is also the son of a well-known coach. His father is Norv Turner, the architect of those Aikman/Irvin/Smith Cowboy teams. Turner has been in several spots: wide receiver coach for the Browns (2013), QB coach of the Vikings (2014-16), offensive analyst at the University of Michigan under Jim Harbaugh (2017), and then his best work as QB coach and eventually OC in Carolina with Cam Newton. After the Panthers fired Ron Rivera, Turner followed him to Washington, where he was the OC for three seasons before being dismissed again.

January 27 - The worst-kept secret in Foxborough is coming to light for the rest of the football world. DeMarcus Covington is on the verge of becoming the Patriots' defensive coordinator. Per Albert Breer, other candidates were being informed over the last day or so.

The 34-year-old has been with the Pats since the 2017-18 season, and if Steve Belichick were to depart this offseason (he's been offered the opportunity to stay), he would become the longest-tenured defensive assistant. 

Covington has coached the defensive line for the last four seasons. Before that, he spent one year as the outside linebacker coach and another as a coaching assistant.

His profile expanded in the last year. Covington interviewed for the DC positions in Arizona and Los Angeles (Chargers) and was also the coordinator at the Senior Bowl.

"He's done such a great job for us," Deatrich Wise told me in December. "He's really smart and a very good leader."

"Owns the room," added Lawrence Guy. "Gets us to play our best."

January 27 - The Sean McVay connection to the Patriots' vacant offensive coordinator position continues. Luke Getsy, most recently the Bears OC before being dismissed after the season, is scheduled for an interview with New England.

Before his stint in Chicago, Getsy was Green Bay's quarterback coach and passing game coordinator under Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was McVay's OC in 2017 and Mike Vrabel's play-caller in 2018 before getting the Packers job.

The Bears showed improvement under Getsy, but obviously not enough. During his two seasons, they ranked 23rd and 18th in points and went from 28th to 20th in yards per game.

Getsy recently spoke with the Raiders about their OC vacancy.

Additionally, the Pats talked to Brian Fleury about the position. He's been on Kyle Shanahan's staff for the last five season, most recently coaching the tight ends. He has an interesting background that also saw him work on the defensive side of the ball and in "research."

January 26 - Jerod Mayo continues to interview offensive coordinator candidates. Except for Nick Caley, whose background is almost entirely in the Josh McDaniels iteration of the Perkins/Erhardt offense, the focus is on joining the Shanahan/McVay system trend. The latest two to pitch their visions are Jerrod Johnson and Thomas Brown. 

Johnson (35 years old)  is currently the quarterback's coach in Houston, where C.J. Stroud had an exceptional rookie year, and the team went from worst to first. A former college star at Texas A&M, Johnson bounced around the league for several years but never appeared in a regular season or playoff game. He began coaching as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellowship member in San Francisco. He later went to Indianapolis to work quality control before serving as Minnesota's assistant QB coach in 2022. Johnson has had a busy couple of weeks, interviewing in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New Orleans, and Philadelphia. 

As for Brown (37), he's a former McVay assistant - assistant head coach, to be exact. He moved on to Carolina to be the team's offensive coordinator this past season, but Frank Reich called the plays for the majority of his brief 11-game tenure. Brown was also the OC for the University of Miami from 2016 to 18. He had a pair of head coaching interviews this cycle with the Tennessee Titans, who just tabbed Cincinnati OC Brian Callahan. He has also met with Mike Tomlin about the Steelers vacant coordinator role.

January 23 - Jerod Mayo has expanded his defensive coordinator search, interviewing Steelers assistant Gerald Alexander for the role. More likely, this will be about filling a spot on the defensive staff, as Demarcus Covington appears to be a slam dunk to ascend to the coordinator spot (deserved). 

Alexander joined Pittsburgh as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2022. Prior, he was on the Miami staff under Brian Flores and Josh Boyer, both former Patriots assistants, hence the tie to New England.

Alexander - who will coach linebackers at the East-West Shrine Bowl - played safety at Boise State and was the Detroit Lions' 2007 second-round draft pick. A safety, he played 44 games in the NFL, bouncing around to five teams. He's 39 years old. 

January 22 -  With Bill O'Brien off to Ohio State this weekend, the Patriots have kicked their offensive coordinator search into overdrive. The latest candidate to emerge is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback coach Dan Pitcher. He will speak with the team via Zoom this week.

Pitcher has options, including staying in Cincinnati. Brian Callahan is expected to be named the Tennessee Titans' new head coach, creating a vacancy that Pitcher would be the odds-on favorite to fill. He is said to have a great relationship with Joe Burrow, which is an excellent place to start. In fact, he's been the team's QB coach throughout Burrow's successful tenure and is responsible for the Bengals' third-down package week in and week out.

As Pitcher's skills have gotten league-wide notice, Cincinnati gave him a lucrative contract extension a year ago. This season, with Burrow lost for the year midway through the campaign, Pitcher helped get back-up Jake Browning up to speed and perhaps has set Browning up for a decent payday in free agency.

"We mesh so well in the meeting room and on the sideline," said Burrow. "We have a great working relationship. ... He's such a critical part of third downs. He plays an integral part in that, and he has gotten two quarterbacks ready to win games for us."

Pitcher is 37 years old and played quarterback at SUNY Cortland from 2009 to 2011. He started on the Bengals staff as an assistant wide receiver coach before eventually taking over the QBs. While his boss, Zac Taylor, comes from the Sean McVay tree, Cincy's offense features many of the concepts that Burrow had success with during his collegiate career at LSU.

January 21 - The Patriots offensive coordinator search is going from 0 to 60 MPHs quickly. The team will interview Nick Caley on Monday and Zac Robinson on Tuesday.

You know Caley from his time on Bill Belichick's staff. He joined the Pats in 2015 and departed after the 2022-23 season once his contract expired. He spent this past year coaching the tight ends with the Rams under Sean McVay. Caley was birthed in the Earhardt/Perkins offensive system that has been en vogue in New England for an eternity, or so it seems. Per league sources, the 40-year-old is well-liked and well-respected for his work with the Rams, and there has been buzz about his role in the development of rookie 5th-round pick Davis Allen. I'm also told he likes his situation in LA, but obviously, this promotion could expedite a shot at a head coaching job down the line. 

Caley was bypassed as the Pats' OC in 2022 in favor of the dynamic duo of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. He might have considered a contract extension but couldn't get clarity on his future role. Despite that uncertainty, per sources then, Caley was teaching the offense to those two. He interviewed for the Jets and Texans OC gig last offseason.

As for Robinson, he too has ties to New England as a Patriot draft pick in 2010. He didn't make it out of training camp but kicked around the league for four seasons before joining Pro Football Focus as an analyst and working as a private QB tutor before jumping into coaching. He's been with McVay since 2019, starting as the assistant quarterback coach before being promoted to QB coach and passing game coordinator in 2022. Robinson has already talked with the Saints and Bears about their OC openings this month. 

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Per multiple reports, and confirmed by a team source, the Patriots are planning on interviewing Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer for their special teams coordinator gig. Springer has been in LA the last two seasons after spending the previous eight years in college. He is the second known candidate. The Pats also requested to speak with Atlanta's Marquice Williams.

The Rams were dead last in opponent-and-situation-adjusted metric DVOA last season. The Falcons were 27th. 

DeMarcus Covington (*can confirm he will officially be interviewed for the job*) is highly regarded internally and is the leading candidate for the Patriots' defensive coordinator position, which hasn't been held by anyone - in title, at least - since Matt Patricia in 2017. But as this is Jerod Mayo's first go-round as head coach, he is actively seeking new ideas and potential fits not just for DC, but positional coaches as well (see Adrian Klemm interviewing for offensive coordinator last year but then being hired to coach the offensive line). To that end, Michael Hodges and Christian Parker have now joined the chat.  

There is some cross-pollination between Hodges, a Saints assistant, and Covington. The two men were co-defensive coordinators at Eastern Illinois in 2016. From there, Hodges jumped to New Orleans as a defensive assistant, then became assistant linebacker coach in 2019 and linebacker coach in 2020. My sense is that this interview would be for Hodges to fill that vacated role (it was Mayo's job last season).

ANALYSIS FROM GIARDI AND BEDARD

Hodges is well-regarded; in fact, multiple sources told me this morning they believe