The Bill Belichick era is officially over for the New England Patriots, and the franchise is moving into a brave new world of uncertainty and with a clean slate.
Jerod Mayo, a linebacker who played for Belichick for eight seasons, is the Patriots’ new head coach, and he has some huge shoes to fill.
On Monday, the team announced four new additions to Mayo’s coaching staff: Bob Bicknell, Vinny DePalma, Taylor Embree, and Dont’a Hightower.
Patriots announce new additions to the coaching staff: https://t.co/uI1rfagVOZ pic.twitter.com/sJDFcGSox0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 19, 2024
After playing college ball at Boston College, Bicknell became a coach at Boston University in 1993, and after five years there, he spent several years coaching in NFL Europe, a now-defunct international league.
He started his NFL coaching career as an assistant offensive line coach with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007, and he became the Buffalo Bills’ tight ends coach in 2010.
Bicknell later became a wide receivers coach, first with Buffalo, and later with the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Cincinnati Bengals.
He will be the Patriots’ new tight ends coach.
DePalma will be their defensive quality control coach, and like Bicknell, he played at Boston College.
Embree has been hired to be New England’s running backs coach after he was the New York Jets’ running backs coach over the last three seasons.
He was previously an assistant with the Eagles and 49ers.
Hightower was a linebacker for nine seasons in New England, and he was named to the Pro Bowl twice while winning himself three Super Bowl rings under Belichick.
He retired as a player last March after not playing during the 2022 season.
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