After an 8-9 finish to the 2022 season, the Patriots have plenty of work to do if they want to get back to their winning ways from the earlier part of this century.
One of their main problems? The offensive coaching staff. After John McDaniels left for Vegas to become the Raiders head coach last offseason, Bill Belichick opted for the non-conventional route – hiring former assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to run his offense with a second-year quarterback in Mac Jones at the helm.
It didn’t work – and now it’s back to the drawing board. Here are my top five candidates who the Patriots should look at for their offensive coordinator position in 2023:
5. Chad O’Shea
O’Shea was New England’s receivers coach from 2009-2018 before bolting to Miami to be the team’s offensive coordinator alongside Brian Flores – before he fired him after just one season.
Now the Cleveland Browns WR’s coach and passing game coordinator, O’Shea’s track record hasn’t been great since he left the Patriots – but he knows the way of life around Foxboro and is likely a trusted Belichick confidant.
4. Nick Caley
The only answer internally for the Patriots should be Nick Caley. Caley has been coaching with the Patriots since 2015, and was robbed of the offensive coordinator position last offseason when Josh McDaniels, Mick Lombardi, and Bo Hardegree left for Las Vegas.
New England is known for keeping things in-house, so this feels like a likely scenario given there’s likely an ultimatum from upstairs that the team needs to switch things up at play caller. Caley is familiar with the players and would be an easy transition.
3. Zac Robinson
With his future in doubt, Rams head coach Sean McVay has permitted his coaching staff to search for other jobs without resistance.
Zac Robinson, the Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, could be a prime candidate for the Patriots offensive coordinator job. Robinson was drafted by New England in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State, and has been coaching in McVay’s system since 2019. Teams have been looking for the next McVay since he left Washington in 2016. The Patriots could be one step ahead on Robinson.
2. Bill O’Brien
Loyalty and familiarity are two things Bill Belichick values when looking for coaches – and Bill O’Brien would bring both of those to Foxboro.
O’Brien coached with the Patriots from 2007-2011 before taking the head coaching job at Penn State in 2022, and was rumored to be an option to come back to New England when Josh McDaniels left to become the Raiders head coach. He ended up staying at Alabama through the year as the Crimson Tide’s play caller, but is now reportedly looking to make a jump back to the NFL.
Bringing O’Brien back and giving him the reigns to this offense could be the difference between their 8-9 team this season and a playoff team in 2023. Mac Jones is not broken – yet, and Bill O’Brien is a part of the handful of coaches that could fix it.
1. Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury would be such a slam-dunk hire for the Patriots.
The 43-year-old was just fired as head coach in Arizona, and frankly wasn’t a great head coach. However he can call an offense, and he’ll be paid by the Cardinals through 2027 – something Bill Belichick loves (see Matt Patricia, Joe Judge).
Kingsbury could bring an air-raid/attack to New England, similar to what Mac Jones ran at Alabama, and help take him to the next level. It makes too much sense.
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