Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington ready to guide ‘from the classroom to the grass’

DeMarcus Covington joined New England’s coaching staff in 2017.

The title of defensive coordinator had not been used by the New England Patriots since 2017.

That was when the organization’s next ultimately arrived in Foxborough as a coaching assistant. From outside linebackers coach to defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington went before being promoted in January.

“It’s something I always wanted to do in this career,” Covington told Patriots.com in an exclusive interview released Thursday. “To become a defensive coordinator and be able to lead a defense, I would say it’s truly a blessing.”

Covington, 34, was an in-house candidate on a list of outside names that included Tem Lukabu, Christian Parker, Michael Hodges and Gerald Alexander. The Super Bowl LIII champion spent the past four campaigns overseeing New England’s defensive line.

His work there helped lead to a pair of NFL defensive coordinator interviews in 2023.

“I always look at what can I do and not try to be somebody else,” Covington said. “I look at how I get the players to play, how you’re able to become a teacher in the classroom and get those players to take it from the classroom to the grass.”

A former wide receiver out of Samford, Covington made coaching stops at UAB, Ole Miss, UT Martin and Eastern Illinois before moving on from the collegiate ranks. Last offseason, he served as the American team’s defensive coordinator at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and earned his second invitation to the NFL’s Coach Accelerator.

But this offseason, Covington marked the first of three coordinators hired by the Patriots under new head coach Jerod Mayo, whom he has shared a sideline with since 2019.

“When you talk about this culture, it’s buy-in and getting your guys to play at a high level. And I think that starts with the staff,” Covington said. “Jerod and I have been working together for the past five years, which has been great. For us to kind of lean on one another, we see the same things and we’re able to challenge one another, too. So, I always talk about iron sharpens iron. He sharpens me. I’m able to sharpen him.”

By the end of a 4-13 year, the Patriots ranked ninth around the NFL in defensive DVOA. And on the ground, 3.3 yards per rushing attempt were allowed to opponents, the league’s lowest average.

“Playing aggressive, playing physical, being disciplined, playing at a high level, trying to seek to take the ball away,” Covington said. “And at the end of the day, like, the players win the game.”

Following Covington’s elevation, New England added ex-Green Bay Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to the staff in the same capacity.