Patriots Make Key Change to Coaching Staff Following Super Bowl LX Defeat

The Patriots have a new vacancy on the defensive side of their coaching staff.

New England is moving defensive coordinator Terrell Williams to a high-ranking role on the coaching staff, and in turn, the team is set to open up its defensive coordinator position, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Williams was in his first year as the Patriots defensive coordinator in 2025, but he was away from the team for much of the year after getting diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy. He returned to the team in January and was on the sideline during Super Bowl LX, though he wasn’t responsible for the defensive play-calling.

In his stead, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr called plays on defense, and he maintained that role in the Super Bowl. Kuhr is considered a top candidate to land the defensive coordinator role, per Rapoport. Despite Kuhr having limited experience calling plays on defense, he excelled in the role and the Patriots had one of the NFL’s best defenses.

The specifics of Williams’s new, high-ranking role have not yet been reported. Williams has plenty of experience coaching on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL. He served as a defensive line coach for multiple teams, including the Raiders, Dolphins, Titans and Lions from 2012 to 2024, overlapping with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee before being named DC of the Patriots ahead of the 2025 season.

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