Who Could Replace Josh McDaniels In New England?
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots coaching staff has a giant void to fill, with Josh McDaniels reportedly set to take over the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only does that leave the Patriots without an offensive coordinator, but it also leaves the team without its quarterbacks coach and mentor for Mac Jones.
That is huge for New England. Jones just had one of the best statistical seasons by a rookie in NFL history under McDaniels' tutelage, and now it appears he'll have to move on to a new offensive coach for year two. Bill Belichick has a pretty big visor to fill on the sideline and in the game plan room.
Luckily, considering the massive rolodex that Belichick has compiled over his decades in football, he'll have plenty of coaches to choose from. Will he bring back an old friend? How about a former adversary? Perhaps the Patriots will promote from within?
Here are a handful of coaches out there who could come in and replace McDaniels as New England's offensive coordinator.
Bill O'Brien
O'Brien took over as OC when McDaniels left New England for Denver back in 2009, and then McDaniels took over for O'Brien when he departed for Penn State in 2012. O'Brien was a big hit at Penn State, but not so much when he returned to the NFL a few years later as head coach of the Texans. O'Brien went 52-48 in his six-plus seasons in Houston, and was fired after Week 4 in 2020 following an 0-4 start to the year.
O'Brien served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama last year, and though he didn't coach Jones, the two did briefly cross over at Tuscaloosa. Jones actually helped teach O'Brien the Alabama offense before departing for the NFL, so they do have a small working relationship with each other
Familiarity with the Patriots? Check. Experience running an NFL offense? Check. Relationship with Mac Jones? It was brief, but check.
O'Brien is the most simple solution to New England filling its void at offense coordinator, but OC at Alabama is a pretty cushy gig too.
Joe Judge
Judge is out there after being canned by the Giants following a 10-23 run with the team over two seasons. He was New England's special teams coordinator before he left for New York, but he was also the team's wide receivers coach in 2019. Judge was one of the favorites to take over for McDaniels at offensive coordinator back in 2018, when he nearly left for Indianapolis before changing his mind at the last second.
Adam Gase
Belichick has always praised the work of Gase, the former Jets and Dolphins head coach. Gase has plenty of experience as an OC with the Broncos (2011-12) and the Bears (2015) and he was seen as a "quarterback whisperer" before he failed to do anything with the likes of Ryan Tannehill in Miami and Sam Darnold in New York. But he also has a working history with Nick Saban, and sometimes that is all it takes to get on Belichick's good side.
Chad O'Shea
A longtime Patriots assistant, O'Shea could get some consideration for McDaniels' old spot. O'Shea was the wide receivers coach in New England from 2009-18, and was Miami's offensive coordinator for one season before the Dolphins wanted to simplify things for Tua Tagovailoa. He has served as Cleveland's passing game coordinator the last two seasons.
Nick Caley
If the Patriots stay in-house for McDaniels' replacement, tight ends and fullbacks coach Nick Caley could be an option. The 39-year-old has called New England his coaching home since 2015 when he first joined Belichick's staff as an offensive assistant. Caley moved up to tight ends coach in 2017, and then added fullbacks coach to his job title in 2020.
Mick Lombardi
Lombardi is another in-house option, having served as New England's wide receivers coach since 2020. He also has experience with QBs, having served as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019. Lombardi, the son of former Browns general manager Michael Lombardi, first worked for the Patriots in 2011-12 as a scouting assistant, but left for opportunities with the 49ers (2012-16) and New York Jets (assistant QBs coach/offensive assistant in 2017).
