What’s next for the Patriots with their coordinator positions filled?

New England has made its three coordinator hires official.

The first big task of Jerod Mayo’s tenure as New England Patriots head coach is in the books: he has now hired three new coordinators to work on offense, defense, and special teams.

But even with Alex Van Pelt, DeMarcus Covington and Jeremy Springer in those respective positions, plenty of work remains for Mayo and the Patriots. Next up is filling the other voids on the coaching staff, and there are plenty of them.

Let’s go through the current coaching roster in all three phases to find out which moves may or may not be in the works behind the scenes.

Offense

Remaining 2023 staff: Evan Rothstein (assistant QBs), Vinnie Sunseri (RBs), Troy Brown (WRs), Will Lawing (TEs), Adrian Klemm (OL), Billy Yates (assistant OL)

On offense, New England appears to be headed for a complete do-over under a coach who has been running a system different from the one that was in place in New England for the last 24 years. While that does not eliminate the current coaches from returning per se, it seems unlikely that all of last year’s assistants will be back.

The question therefore becomes how to replace them. So far, only one reported candidate has emerged: Andy Dickerson, who previously coached offensive lines in Los Angeles and Seattle, is a target for the team.

In addition, Van Pelt’s former assistants in Cleveland also should be considered for positions on the Patriots’ new-look coaching staff. Stump Mitchell coached running backs and T.C. McCartney coached tight ends under New England’s recently-hired OC, but neither was retained by the Cleveland Browns after they decided to dismiss Van Pelt in January.

Another name to watch is Chad O’Shea. A long-time Patriots wide receivers coach, he left the organization in 2019 first to coordinate the Miami Dolphins offense under Brian Flores, and then to join new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff in Cleveland. O’Shea spent the last four years as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator under Van Pelt — a role he very well could also be offered in New England for the 2024 season.

In addition, Browns offensive assistants Jonathan Decoster and Ashton Grant need to be kept in mind as well. Grant in particular seems like an interesting candidate after he spent most of his time in 2023 working with Cleveland’s quarterbacks.

Defense

Remaining 2023 staff: Steve Belichick (LBs), Mike Pellegrino (CBs), Brian Belichick (Ss), Keith Jones (fellowship)

Even though the turnover on that side of the ball does not appear to be as drastic, the Patriots might need new coaches on all three levels, and possible at every position. It all starts up front, with DeMarcus Covington’s old job as D-line coach.

The linebacker position also is a question mark, however, with Jerod Mayo moving to become head coach and Steve Belichick’s return not guaranteed despite an offer being on the table. Even if he does come back, Belichick appears more likely to work as an assistant head coach or in an advisor-type role rather than as a position coach.

In the secondary, Mike Pellegrino appears to be a relatively safe bet to return but Brian Belichick’s status as safeties coach is also TBD. As can be seen, plenty of turnover might be in the cards for the group.

The one spot we know needs to be filled could go to Keith Jones or Joe Kim, who worked as assistant defensive line coaches on the Patriots’ East-West Shrine Bowl staff last season. Jones in particular would make sense working with the D-lines at Arkansas, Arkansas State and Missouri Southern State.

Another internal name to consider would be Mike Pellegrino, who was the defensive line coach at the Shrine Bowl. The 30-year-old has been coaching the Patriots’ cornerbacks since 2019, but he might want to expand his coaching résumé.

Whatever happens, the Patriots also have some external coaches worth considering. Christian Parker was the Denver Broncos’ defensive backs coach the last three years, for example, but he did interview in New England this offseason. The same is true for New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodgens and Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu.

All three are intriguing candidates, with Hodgens and Lukabu standing out due to their connections to the Patriots staff: Hodgens was a co-defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois alongside Covington in 2016, while Lukabu was on the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff in 2019 together with Alex Van Pelt.

There also is one more name to monitor: Mike Vrabel. The former Tennessee Titans head coach and Patriots Hall of Famer remains on the open market, and has experience coaching linebackers and defensive linemen.

Special teams

Remaining 2023 staff: Joe Judge (assistant HC)

The Patriots don’t need to hire multiple staff members to support Jeremy Springer in the kicking game, but some moves still need to happen.

A new assistant needs to be found after Joe Houston departed for the University of Florida. In addition, Joe Judge is unlikely to return after he worked extensively on special teams last season (and during his first stint with the organization). Troy Brown’s job status as kick returners coach also is in question.

Who could be brought aboard to fill those positions? The Patriots did interview veteran ST coach Thomas McGaughey, and he might be a candidate to join the staff as an advisor, but it seems more likely the team will explore other options.

Two currently reside on the roster: career special teamers Matthew Slater and Cody Davis, who are both candidates for retirement and might have an interest in sticking around in a coaching capacity. At the very least, adding them would ensure some stability in what is already a tumultuous offseason for the kicking game and the Patriots as a whole.