He has served six head coaches: Ron Meyer, Raymond Berry, Dick MacPherson, Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll, and Bill Belichick.
He has coached Pro Bowl players: Mosi Tatupu (special teams), Tony Franklin (kicker), Larry Whigham (special teams), Damien Woody (center), Matt Light (tackle), Dan Koppen (center), Logan Mankins (guard), and Brian Waters (guard).
And then there are the Patriots’ Super Bowl appearances, all of them with Scarnecchia on board: 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, and this season.
The one constant has been the man known as “Scar’’ by those who work for him and alongside him.
“He’s one of the smartest football coaches in the business,’’ said Berry, a Hall of Famer. “His depth of knowledge about the game, he can match anybody.’’
Scarnecchia, who is in his 30th season in the NFL, is tied with Bengals running backs coach Jim Anderson for longest active service with one team at 28 years. The two were actually college teammates at Cal Western in San Diego from 1968-69.
“I’ll tell you what, he’s good,’’ said Waters. “And there’s a reason why this group is always good. There’s a reason why the Patriots always have a good, solid offensive line. It’s because of him. I see where it comes from. He’s a consistent figure to this line.’’
But how does Scarnecchia, who will turn 64 on Feb. 15, do it?
The words most often heard about him are demanding, loyal, smart, and dedicated.
One word that isn’t spoken, but seems to be the underlying theme, is surprising: love.
Yes, love. The man on the staff who knows the most variations of curse words gives out a brutally tough love that seems to endure long after his players leave his charge.
“To me, he’s the one that laid out the foundation for me,’’ said Woody, the current ESPN analyst who left the Patriots in 2004 and played with the Lions and Jets. “A lot of the things I used in my game, I got from him.
