It Is What It Is
NEED TO KNOW
Follow WEEI.com football writer Christopher Price at twitter.com/cpriceNFL. In addition, get the latest WEEI.com updates at twitter.com/WEEI.
A WEEI.com Patriots Blog
WEEI.com Blog Network
Patriots bringing Brian Daboll back to coaching staff 01.14.13 at 12:00 pm ET
By
Brian Daboll, once with the Jets and Eric Mangini, is returning to the Patriots coaching staff. (AP)

Brian Daboll, once with the Jets and Eric Mangini, is returning to the Patriots coaching staff. (AP)

FOXBORO — In a move similar to bringing back Josh McDaniels during last year’s playoff run as an offensive coaching assistant, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announced Monday that Brian Daboll is in the process of rejoining the coaching staff. Belichick said Daboll’s role hasn’t been specified yet.

“[It's] similar to what Josh did last year but without any specific responsibility at this time,” Belichick said in announcing the move during Monday’s conference call with reporters. “As soon as we get that worked out, he’ll be part of our coaching staff going forward.”

Daboll was first with the Patriots in the early 2000s, serving as a defensive coaching assistant in 2000. He then worked with McDaniels and coached the wide receivers from 2002-06.

“It’s great to have Brian back,” McDaniels said. “He’s a very good football coach, very knowledgeable and can help us a will certainly help us in a lot of different ways. Certainly having another set of eyes with experience and has a lot of understanding of our system and how we go about doing things, I think, is only a positive for us and can help our football team going forward. I look forward to doing that with Brian.

“Last year when I came back, really anything they asked me to do, I was excited to do. You know, anything you can do to help at this time of year is useful, whether that’s drawing practice cards or sitting in a meeting and having a few ideas on a certain situation in the game plan or anything like that during the course of a week. Everything is so important; every detail is very critical at this time of year and having another football coach on your staff to help is nothing but helpful for us.”

Daboll left New England and joined the staff of head coach Eric Mangini with the Jets and served as quarterbacks coach in 2007-08.

After leaving the Jets, Daboll became the Browns offensive coordinator from 2009-10. He had the same job with the Dolphins (2011) and the Chiefs this past season.

Belichick is very familiar with him, as he served as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Michigan State from 1998-99.

Read More: Bill Belichick, Brian Daboll, Cleveland Browns, Eric Mangini Print  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Bruinman86

    Funny how they leave, then fail, then come back. It’s like a broken record….

  • ih8sno

    hmmm, sounds like someone’s being groomed for a spot soon to be opened in the coming years.

  • Anonymous

    Paving the way for the return of Romeo?

  • Anonymous

    I would love to see Romeo come back as DC.  Patricia has not done a great job. The defense has improved after BB got involved personally. Having Romeo back would help alot and allow BB to run the team rather than have to spend more time with the defense.

  • Sespsort3

    why??  is josh going somewhere.

  • Email

    HC when the hooded one leaves

  • Werwer

    They should bring back Eric Mangini as Defensive Coordinator.

  • Anonymous

     If he’s an OC, what does this say about the possibility of McDaniels bolting within the next year?

  • Raghu

    Why again bring in someone just before a big game? It didnt work out when Josh came in the playoffs last year as we didnt do much in scoring in the SB against the Giants. Cant they wait till the season is over? They have managed so long, which has got us to the AFC Championship game, why add another hand now??!!

  • Schwank

    I don’t think it’s any of that.  The guy is out of a job, he left on good terms, they obviously like him so they a hiring him now so he doesn’t go elsewhere while they are in the playoff hunt.  They’ll likely give him a title after the playoff conclude.  Nothing more thatn that, a talented coach worth hiring.

  • Schwank

    One more thought…..have him help out on special teams.  All of a sudden that appears to be a problem.  Cost us the SF game and made yesterday’s game far closer scorewise than the game itself.  One could argue that 10-13 points resulted from those returns.  Thing that has me worried is that the old Parcells line …”you are what you are”  may be true here.  They may just have ineffective KO return guys.  I remember back in the 80′s BC couldn’t cover a kickoff.  Literally game in game out same thing.  Back then it was a speed issue.  This might be a discipline ….stay in your lanes … type thing.  I think it’s fixable.  One other point, they dressed two different guys who returned from injury  and they were on that team.  Perhaps it had something to do with it.  Film doesn’t lie, so if they can they will fix it.

  • AlsoGuest

    For returns don’t forget – they are missing Edelman… I assume if the first kickoff against the Ravens goes wrong, you will see regulars back there, Ninkovich or Mayo. Yesterday when Ninkovich was a part of kickoff coverage team, they did very well.

  • Everyone

    Why thehell not?

  • trollhunter

    WHAT ? did you fall and hit your head

  • Chrisindanvers

    Interesting move. Obviously he was well liked when he was here, even if he became part of the Eric Mangini migration that did not go over so well in Foxboro. Does make you wonder why the move is done now and if it is an indication that other things might be happening.

    However, BB is often known for his due diligence with players and it appears he has been doing due diligence with past coaches during the last two years. I think it is great to bring back coaches who worked well and BB may have him pegged to work with the wide receivers, which he did a great job with. Because this team has not been able to develop its own drafted wide receiver since he has left – Julian Edelman being the closest to such a thing – he just might be the one to improve that.

Latest on Twitter

2013 PATRIOTS DRAFT PICKS

2013 NFL DRAFT

Patriots Headlines
NFL Headlines
Tips & Feedback

Verify