The staff turnover will be the most since the Patriots' last Super Bowl title season, 2004, after which offensive coordinator Charlie Weis left for Notre Dame, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel departed to become head coach of the Browns, and assistant offensive line coach/tight ends coach Jeff Davidson followed Crennel to Cleveland.
That talent drain cleared the way for the rise of precocious assistants McDaniels, who ran the offense sans the offensive coordinator title in 2005, and Mangini, who ascended to defensive coordinator. It was evidence that the Patriots' philosophy of building a team and developing talent extended to the coaching staff.
Since becoming coach in 2000, Belichick has usually preferred to look within his staff to find key replacements. With that in mind and vacancies at offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, special teams coach, and secondary coach, let's look at the members of the coaching staff.
OFFENSE
Bill O'Brien, wide receivers coach - The 39-year-old O'Brien is the most likely internal candidate to take over the offense. His promotion to wide receivers coach in 2008 may have been to groom him to succeed McDaniels. Much like McDaniels in 2005, O'Brien could call the plays without having the title of offensive coordinator. An Andover native and graduate of St. John's Prep, O'Brien joined the Patriots staff in 2007 as a coaching assistant after spending 14 seasons as a college assistant coach at Brown, Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Duke. O'Brien spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Duke (2005-06), and held that title with Georgia Tech in 2001 and 2002.
