After losing Josh McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders last year, Bill Belichick opted to hand offensive play-calling duties to former Detroit Lions head coach and long-time underling Matt Patricia. While Patricia didn’t receive the offensive coordinator title, he did orchestrate the New England Patriots offense, a strange role for a coach whose only offensive experience came as an assistant nearly 20 years ago.
The results, predictably, were disastrous. The Patriots regressed in nearly every offensive category, moving from ninth in offensive DVOA and 10th in expected points added per play in 2021 to 24th in both metrics. Mac Jones went from looking like New England’s long-term Tom Brady replacement to a quarterback who had never seen a football field.
It seems impossible that Belichick will go into the 2023 season with Patricia and Joe Judge as his offensive brain trust. Thus, it’s only natural that we look at several candidates to take over as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator next year.
New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Candidates
Some of these coaches are intimately familiar with the Patriots’ offensive system, while others would represent a fresh start. Let’s start with the most likely candidate to take over in New England.
Bill O’Brien
Bill O’Brien has been linked to the Patriots since this time last year. The connection makes all the sense in the world because O’Brien — now the OC at Alabama — held New England’s OC job from 2009-11. Those Patriots teams, headlined by Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker, finished sixth, first, and third in scoring in O’Brien’s three seasons at the helm.
In December, NFL Media suggested O’Brien was a “strong candidate” to emerge as New England’s next play-caller. O’Brien had a two-year contract with the Crimson Tide, and there have reportedly been no discussions regarding an extension now that that deal has expired.
MORE: List of Current NFL Offensive Coordinators
As of earlier this week, the Patriots had not reached out to O’Brien, but that doesn’t mean the former Texans head coach couldn’t eventually land in New England. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, O’Brien would “love to return” to the Patriots, where he already has a relationship with Jones, who helped him learn Alabama’s offense in 2021.
Nick Caley
If the Patriots decide to roll with an internal candidate, Nick Caley will probably be the choice. Belichick seems to be partial to John Carroll University alums — McDaniels, Nick Caserio, and Dave Ziegler are all ex-Blue Streaks — so Caley has that going for him. More importantly, Belichick blocked Caley from discussing a Raiders role with McDaniels and Ziegler when the pair departed for Las Vegas last offseason.
That move could have indicated Caley was set to take on a larger role in 2022, but he stuck in his tight ends coach role for the sixth consecutive season. Caley’s contract in New England is reportedly set to expire, but a new deal with an improved title and more responsibility could convince him to stick in New England.
Frank Reich
After being fired by the Colts at midseason, Frank Reich may have his eye on bigger jobs than Patriots offensive coordinator. He’s set to interview for the Panthers’ head coaching position, and he was also mentioned as an initial candidate for the Broncos’ vacancy.
Reich has plenty of experience working with quarterbacks, and his eternally positive attitude could serve as a breath of fresh air for Jones and the rest of New England’s offense, which looked frustrated in nearly every game. Now 61 years old, Reich was an offensive coordinator for the Chargers and Eagles before taking over the Colts in 2018.
Kliff Kingsbury
Belichick obviously liked something about Kliff Kingsbury in 2003, because he made the Texas Tech quarterback the 201st overall selection in that year’s draft. And based on recent reports, that affinity may still be intact.
Per Breer, the Patriots have “done their homework” on Kingsbury, who was recently fired as the Cardinals’ head coach after four seasons. Belichick may even have a “level of fascination” with Kingsbury’s accomplishments as a play-caller.
MORE: 5 Cardinals Head Coach Candidates To Replace Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury was an excellent offensive designer in the college ranks, and Arizona had improved in each of his seasons in charge until 2022. If he were to take over in New England, the Patriots offense would have a much different flavor next season.
Adam Gase
Adam Gase has been out of the NFL for two seasons, and for good reason. His disastrous record as head coach with the Dolphins and Jets has likely made him a pariah in league circles, and there may be a belief that his only success as a play-caller came with Peyton Manning under center in Denver.
That being said, Gase’s name reportedly kept “popping up” when the Patriots were searching for an offensive coordinator last February. Gase could be an option in New England, but he’s probably not a good one.
Chad O’Shea
Chad O’Shea worked as the Patriots’ wide receivers coach from 2009-18, so he’d be a natural candidate to return and take over New England’s play-calling duties. The OC for Brian Flores’ 2019 Dolphins, O’Shea was fired after Miami finished just 24th in EPA per play.
Since 2020, he’s served as the Browns’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. O’Shea helped integrate trade acquisition Amari Cooper into Cleveland’s offense and led third-year wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones to the best season of his career. He’d likely be a high-floor, low-ceiling addition for the Patriots.
Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy was once a hot head coaching candidate, but those days seem to be gone. After receiving interviews for just two of the 10 open jobs last offseason, the Chiefs offensive coordinator hasn’t received a single request this cycle.
That lack of interest could be due to a troubling history of off-field incidents, racial discrimination, or the fact that Bieniemy doesn’t call plays in Kansas City (head coach Andy Reid handles that duty).
If it’s the latter, Bieniemy may need to take a coordinator position with another club to prove his bona fides. That opportunity could potentially come in New England, where the 53-year-old could move out of Reid’s shadow and craft his own offense.
Quarterback Coaches Around the NFL
If the Patriots truly want to move away from the status quo, they could target position coaches from other NFL staffs. The vast majority of offensive coordinator hires come from the quarterback coach ranks, so that’s the best place to look.
Five QB coaches immediately come to mind: Brian Johnson (Eagles), Zac Robinson (Rams), Dan Pitcher (Bengals), Joe Brady (Bills), and Shea Tierney (Giants). All five of those coaches have done excellent work in their respective situations, and each deserves a chance — or, in Brady’s case, another chance — to serve as an offensive play-caller.
The only problem? Each of those coaches could be eying promotions with their current teams, either this offseason or in 2024. The Eagles, Bengals, Bills, and Giants all have offensive coordinators who could land a head coaching position in this cycle or the next, and these QB coaches would be in line to take over as play-callers.
Robinson’s job is a bit more in flux given the uncertainty surrounding Sean McVay, but Rams OC Liam Cohen just departed LA and returned to the University of Kentucky, so Robinson could ascend to his position. Robinson was a Patriots seventh-round draft choice in 2010.