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Why did the Patriots hire Josh McDaniels? Coaching results, record, history
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- Why did the Patriots hire Josh McDaniels? Coaching results, record, history
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and the New England Patriots hiring Josh McDaniels to be their offensive coordinator.
McDaniels is returning to New England to serve as the Patriots' offensive coordinator for a third time, the team announced Wednesday.
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The news comes roughly 10 days after the team announced it was hiring Mike Vrabel as its new head coach.
Vrabel, who played for the Patriots from 2001-2008, has quickly gotten to work hiring his closest assistants. After reports of McDaniels' imminent hiring broke on Tuesday, more news came Wednesday, with multiple reports indicating Vrabel and the Patriots were hiring Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams as their new defensive coordinator.
McDaniels started his career as an NFL staffer as the Patriots' personnel assistant in 2001 before rising up the ranks to become the team's offensive coordinator in 2006. Since then, he has left New England twice to take head coaching jobs elsewhere, but those stints didn't last long, and he's returned to the Patriots after each one.
Here's what to know about his (re-)hiring:
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Why did the Patriots hire Josh McDaniels?
With the Patriots deciding to fire Bill Belichick successor Jerod Mayo after one season, their new head coach, Vrabel, had to get to work filling the roles of his coordinators.
Vrabel, a former linebacker and defensive coordinator, is a defensive-minded head coach. He needed to bring in an established offensive coordinator to handle the other side of the ball, especially with quarterback Drake Maye coming off of a promising rookie year.
McDaniels has tons of experience working (and winning) in New England. He won three Super Bowls with the team in his first four years on staff, then three more in his second stint as the team's offensive coordinator.
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Granted, all of those Super Bowls were with Tom Brady playing quarterback, but McDaniels showed off his talent in working with young quarterbacks as well.
In 2021, the last year of his second stint with the Patriots, McDaniels coached Mac Jones through a rookie year that still stands as his most successful as a pro. With McDaniels leading the offense, Jones and the Patriots went 10-7 and made the playoffs. The quarterback even earned a Pro Bowl nod as he finished second behind Ja'Marr Chase in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
McDaniels has also supposedly refined his already-successful offensive system, according to Sports Illustrated . Reports indicate that the scheme will be more "user-friendly," which could bode well for Maye and others in the offense.
With a defensive-minded head coach entering the building and a second-year quarterback in need of more development, the Patriots are turning to a safe option and known quantity in McDaniels to lead the offense.
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How many Super Bowl rings does Josh McDaniels have?
McDaniels has six Super Bowl rings, all on the Patriots coaching staff. The first three came as quarterbacks coach in Super Bowls 36, 38 and 39.
As offensive coordinator, McDaniels added three more championships in Super Bowls 49, 51 and 53.
Josh McDaniels coaching history
Here's a full look at McDaniels' coaching roles since he first joined a coaching staff in 1999:
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Michigan State:Graduate assistant, 1999
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Personnel assistant, 2001
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Defensive assistant, 2002-2003
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Quarterbacks coach, 2004-2005
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Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, 2006-2008
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Denver Broncos :Head coach, 2009-2010
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St. Louis Rams:Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, 2011
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Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, 2012-2019; 2021
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Offensive coordinator, 2020
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Las Vegas Raiders :Head coach, 2022-2023
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New England Patriots:Offensive coordinator, 2025-present
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Patriots' recent offensive performances
Since McDaniels left the Patriots after the 2021 season, here's how the team's offense has ranked in various statistical categories:
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2022:
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Yards per game:314.6 - 26th
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Points per game:21.4 - 17th
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EPA/play:-0.047 - 24th
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Success rate:41.1% - 24th
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2023:
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Yards per game:276.2 - 30th
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Points per game:13.9 - 32nd
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EPA/play:-0.189 - 31st
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Success rate:38.9% - 29th
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2024:
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Yards per game:291.9 - 31st
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Points per game:17.0 - 30th
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EPA/play:-0.081 - 27th
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Success rate:42.5% - 19th
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why the Patriots hired Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator
