Belichick: Patricia will join Judge in coaching offense
The New England Patriots' coaching staff will feature some familiar faces in 2022 but will see its members in slightly different roles.
Head coach Bill Belichick said Monday that Matt Patricia, who previously worked as a defensive assistant for a decade in New England, will now join the team's offensive coaching staff, according to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal.
Patricia joined the Patriots as an offensive assistant in 2004. He became known as a defensive guru in 2006 and gained national recognition while working as New England's defensive coordinator from 2012-17. The Detroit Lions hired him as head coach in 2018.
The 47-year-old's tenure in Detroit didn't go as planned, with the Lions posting a 13-29-1 record before firing him midway through the 2020 season.
Patricia is the second assistant to return to the Patriots in 2022 in a new offensive role after Joe Judge, who spent the past two seasons as the New York Giants' head coach. New York hired Judge after he worked as New England's special teams coordinator between 2015-19.
"We've had a lot of coaches take multiple responsibilities," Belichick said. "Matt was on offense and went to defense. So forth and so on. I'm not really worried about that. I think a good coach is a good coach. Matt's a great coach. Joe's a great coach. They'll help us no matter what position they coach."
New England changed its offensive coaching staff this offseason after longtime coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach. McDaniels, who spent two years as a defensive assistant for the Pats in 2002 and 2003, helped the team win six Super Bowl titles while coordinating the offense for 13 seasons across two stints.
The unit's main task will be to develop second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
"I'm sure everybody will have a role in it. I'll work with him like I have before. Matt. Joe," Belichick said Monday when asked who will coach Jones.
Belichick isn't ready to announce who'll replace McDaniels as his new offensive play-caller, though.
"We won't be calling any for a while," he said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
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