Patriots coaching staff changes: Mike Vrabel to hire new defensive coordinator

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Patriots coaching staff changes: Mike Vrabel to hire new defensive coordinator

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Thu, Feb 12, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The Patriots are making a change on their coaching staff.

According to a source, the Patriots are moving Terrell Williams to a “high-ranking role” on Mike Vrabel’s staff. Williams started the season as the team’s defensive coordinator, but needed to step away for most of the season after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Patriots inside inside linebacker Zak Kuhr stepped up as the team’s defensive play-caller last season. He should be considered the top candidate to fill the job.

This move isn’t a surprise. This week, Vrabel was asked if Kuhr would remain the team’s defensive coordinator, and the coach said the Patriots had much to figure out. He noted that Williams, who was declared cancer-free , had been medically cleared to return.

“There’ll be a lot of things that we’ll have to work through there,” Vrabel said. “We’ll have to work through — T’s healthy and been given a release to be back at work. So again, I’ll work through all those things here in the next couple days, weeks, however long those decisions take.”

Williams, 51, was with Vrabel for his time in Tennessee. He was the Titans’ defensive line coach and assistant head coach from 2018 to 2023. In 2024, Williams worked in Detroit as the Lions’ defensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Vrabel made his longtime assistant one of his first hires last offseason. However, the coach dealt with a “scary” medical situation in the offseason that kept him from the Patriots in OTAs and minicamp.

Williams returned for training camp and called defensive plays in Week 1. The next week, Williams went to urgent care, thinking he had the stomach flu. That’s when doctors discovered his cancer.

Kuhr stepped up and did a great job for the Patriots. The 37-year-old never called defensive plays before this season, but led a dominant unit. The defense finished fourth in the NFL in points allowed and eighth in total defense. In the playoffs, the Patriots allowed an average of 13.8 points per game.

Williams spent most of the 2025 season away from the Patriots, but rejoined the team in the second half of the regular season. After being declared cancer-free, he traveled with the Patriots for the first time last week for Super Bowl 60.

At Super Bowl 60 media night, Williams said he was proud of Kuhr and the job he did.

“Zak Kuhr deserves a lot of credit, a lot of credit for taking over and taking control of the defense,” Williams said. “And I’m really proud of those guys because we were all together in Tennessee. Zak was my assistant. We all worked together. I’m really happy to see those guys continue to thrive and preach the message that Vrabes is really preaching.”

The NFL Network was the first to report the change to the staff.

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