Patriots hiring Dont'a Hightower as linebackers coach

BOSTON -- With Jerod Mayo and Steve Belichick vacating their roles on the Patriots' coaching staff -- Mayo en route to becoming head coach, Belichick to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington -- the team was left with a need at linebackers coach.

For that, Mayo has turned to a former teammate to fill the void.

Former Patriot and three-time Super Bowl champion Dont'a Hightower has been hired as the new linebackers coach in New England, his agency announced Friday.

Hightower, 33, was a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Patriots in 2012, and he spent four years as a teammate of Mayo in the linebackers room. Hightower skipped the 2020 season as a COVID opt-out, returned to play 15 games in 2021, and after sitting out the 2022 season, he officially retired in March of 2023. 

Now, after a couple of years away from the NFL, Hightower is returning to the only place he's worked in the NFL as part of Mayo's staff.

The news comes a day after Mike Reiss reported that Mike Pellegrino will return as cornerbacks coach, in addition to Brian Belichick returning as safeties coach. With DeMarcus Covington being elevated from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, the team hired Jerry Montgomery from Green Bay to fill the D-line role, while bringing in Hightower to replace Mayo and Steve Belichick at the linebackers spot.