Best of the Rest? — Patriots Have Several Options For Completing 2022 Offensive Coaching Staff
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It may be a stretch to say that the cupboard of the New England Patriots’ offensive coaching staff is currently bare. However, it is looking a bit thin at the moment.
Following the departure of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, New England will also be devoid of the services of assistant quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi, and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo; all of which are headed to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In addition to those defecting to the Nevada desert, the Pats are also likely to be losing one of their longest tendered and most respected coaches on offense. Long time running backs coach Ivan Fears is expected to retire after 31 seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL.
Needless to say, the Patriots’ sidelines will look much different in 2022.
Of course, New England may take solace in knowing that head coach Bill Belichick will once again stand on the sidelines in 2022. The soon-to-be 70-year-old is set to remain with the Patriots for his 22nd season. While conventional wisdom may tell you that New England will be ‘ok, as long as they have Belichick,’ the team will be in need of some help in the offensive coaches room for the upcoming season.
However, for as much prowess as Belichick possesses on the bench, he cannot wear every coaching hat in Foxboro. For that, the Pats have, and will continue, to look for a little help from their friends.
To help mitigate some of the Pats coaching losses, former New York Giants head coach as an offensive assistant. Former Pats’ wideout and current wide receivers coach Troy Brown is expected to inherit the responsibility of coaching the wideouts, while Billy Yates looks to be the best fit for taking over the duties on the offensive line.
Still, New England appears to have plenty of options for filling out their coaching staff for 2022, both in-house and even outside the organization.
Here is a look at some of the names you might hear as ‘best of the rest’ options to round out New England’s offensive coaching staff in 2022.
Matt Patricia
Though he may presently be holding only an advisory role to Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia’s return to the sidelines remains a possibility. Despite being best known for his role on the Patriots defensive coaching staff, Patricia’s name has been mentioned as a possibility to coach the Pats offense, per a Sunday morning report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
While the suggestion of Patricia having a hand in crafting New England’s offense in 2022 may raise an eyebrow (and perhaps the blood pressure) of several Patriots fans, the 47-year old does have some experience on that side of the ball.
Patricia actually joined the Patriots as an offensive coaching assistant under Belichick in 2004, the same year the team won its 3rd Super Bowl in Super Bowl XXXIX. In 2005, upon the departure of assistant offensive line/tight ends coach Jeff Davidson, Patricia was reassigned as the Patriots' assistant offensive line coach.
Nick Caley
Caley coached at the collegiate level for 10 years before becoming part of the Patriots' staff in 2015. In 2017, Caley was promoted and became the tight ends coach for the Patriots. Caley added to his resume in 2020, by adding the title of being the team’s fullbacks coach in addition to his duties as tight ends coach. During his time in New England, Caley has earned a solid reputation for his leadership and knowledge among his colleagues, as well as his players. His knowledge of tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith should allow him notable input on incorporating two-tight end sets into the Patriots offense; a look which the Pats deployed on just 18.6 offensive snaps in 2021.
Vinny Sunsieri
By all accounts, Sunsieri looks to be the heir-apparent to coach the Pats rushers in 2022, if Fears makes an official retirement announcement. The 28-year-old began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Alabama, under known Belichick-associate, Nick Saban. Sunsieri coached alongside his brother, Tino, who also was a graduate assistant and his father, Sal, who is the Crimson Tide’s linebackers coach. In 2020 he was hired by the New England Patriots in a support staff role. In 2021, Sunsieri was named an assistant running backs coach; shadowing Fears while developing solid relationships with Harris, Stevenson, veteran Brandon Bolden and second-year back J.J. Taylor.
Tyler Hughes
Hughes is an interesting name to watch among the Patriots offensive assistants. Prior to joining New England in 2020, Hughes spent two seasons (2018-19) as the head coach at Bountiful High School in Utah. Prior to that position he spent three seasons (2014-16) as the head coach of the Division II Minot State in North Dakota.
Hughes came to Minot State after spending the 2013 season at Ohio State, where he served as a quality control assistant and also worked with the quarterbacks. Prior to Ohio State, Hughes spent nine seasons at Snow College, a member of the NJCAA, in Ephraim, Utah. Hughes was the head coach during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2005-10 after being hired as the wide receivers and tight ends coach in 2004. As the head coach at Snow, Hughes led the team to a 20-4 overall record, two bowl game championships and one conference title. In addition, Hughes was named the WSFL Coach of the Year in 2012 following an 11-1 season and a No. 3 national ranking.
While Hughes’ pro resume may be a bit thin, his knowledge of multiple levels of the team’s offense could make him an intriguing option to take on a bigger role in 2022.
Jerry Schuplinski
If the Patriots are looking to brave the waves of continuing to develop a young quarterback, they may choose to bring in a coach who knows those waters. Schuplinski was hired by the Patriots in 2013 as an offensive assistant under Belichick. His close relationship to then-Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Patriots' director of player personnel Nick Caseiro played a role in that decision, as the trio played together at John Carroll University in the mid-1990s.
However, Schuplinski quickly showed that he was more-than-deserving of his place on the Pats’ staff. In 2016, he was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach, and helped coach rookie Jacoby Brisset and backup Jimmy Garapollo.
Schuplinski remained in that position until the 2019 season, when he was hired by the Miami Dolphins as their assistant quarterbacks coach under head coach Brian Flores.
His stay in Miami would last only one season. In 2020, Schuplinski was hired by the New York Giants as their quarterbacks coach under his former Patriots colleague Joe Judge. He was let go after the 2021 season. With Judge back in the Foxboro fold, combined with his solid work with both Garoppolo and Brissett, Schuplinski may be in line for at least an inquiry.
Cole Popovich
Despite recently accepting another coaching position, Popovich is likely to listen if the Patriots come calling. In his first season working alongside Bricillo, the Pats’ offensive line performed reasonably well, the retirement of legendary o-line coach Dante Scarnecchia. However, in 2021, Popovich made the decision to leave the Patriots’ coaching staff, as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine guidelines set forth by the NFL.
To that point, Popovich had been a member of the Patriots coaching staff since joining the team as a coaching assistant in 2016. During that span, he served a variety of different roles. Popovich was named the Pats’ assistant running backs coach in 2019. Following the retirement of long-time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, both Popovich and Bricillo were elevated to the role as co-offensive line coaches. Prior to his arrival in New England, he coached at the collegiate level for five seasons, including stints at Los Angeles Valley College, Fresno City College, Utah State University, and Minot State University.
Popovich was hired by Troy University in January to be their offensive line coach. While neither Popovich, nor the Patriots have indicated that his return to the team would be a fit for 2022, it is reasonable to assume that leaving the Trojans for the Patriots would at least be a consideration for the former Pats assistant.
