After 24 years, the Bill Belichick era in New England ended last month, but a few coaches from the Belichick regime have remained on the staff.
One of those coaches is his son, safeties coach Brian Belichick.
The younger Belichick has been with the organization since 2016, when he joined the team as a scouting assistant. He was promoted to safeties coach in 2020.
The safety position has been a strong one for the Patriots organization in recent years. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers formed a formidable duo last season. Dugger has been a stalwart at safety since the Patriots drafted him in 2020, while Peppers had a monster year in his second year with the team in 2023, recording two interceptions, 78 tackles and a sack.
Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington spoke to the media on Wednesday and offered reasons why Brian Belichick, among several other assistants from the former regime, were kept on the staff, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire.
“They’re familiar with the players. Our players are familiar with them,” Covington said. “They’re familiar with our philosophy on what we wanted to do, and then they’ve also worked with me and know what I want to do.
“And then also the foundation, they have been here, too. We all came in here pretty much together. And so, I think, when you look at those things, and you look at how the players and the coaches combine, and how we get the best out of our players, that’s what’s important to me. Who can do that, who can coach their players good, who can get their players to go out there and play at a high level, and execute to the standard we want to have.”
LIVE: DeMarcus Covington Press Conference 2/21: https://t.co/F0CVPXUby5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 21, 2024
Familiarity could be extremely important with New England undergoing massive changes, both on the coaching staff and the roster.
At the very least, the Belichick name will remain in New England.
