It looks like New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will lose more members of his coaching staff and not just his coordinators. Multiple media reports have it that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will leave the team after the season to take the head-coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts and the Detroit Lions, respectively. Also, linebackers coach Brian Flores is a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals head-coaching role. The Lions and the Colts should wait until the Patriots’ season ends before signing Patricia and McDaniels, respectively.

Special teams coach to leave?

Add special teams coach Joe Judge to the list as he is reported to be leaving the Patriots after this season to join the coaching staff of either McDaniels or Patricia when they shift teams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Judge has been with the Patriots since 2011. From 2012 to 2014, he worked as special teams assistant under Scott O’Brien before taking over the role as special teams coordinator. However, Judge could remain with the team if he agrees to an extension with the Patriots. Before working for the Patriots, Judge also worked as special teams coordinator for Alabama’s Nick Saban. If Judge leaves, Belichick is expected to promote Ray Ventrone, who has served as the Patriots special teams assistant coach for the past three seasons.

The Patriots could also ask O’Brien to leave his current post as an area scout for the team and return to his old job.

Another candidate for Patricia’s post emerges

After reports that Patricia will leave the Patriots for the Lions, Flores’ name emerged as a possible replacement. However, with Flores still in the running for the Cardinals’ head coaching job, the Patriots might look elsewhere to fill the defensive coordinator void just in case.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider said another possibility for Belichick is Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn, who Bill Belichick has coached in the past. According to Rapoport, Belichick could tap Glenn if Flores gets the Cardinals’ head-coaching gig. If not, Flores is a shoo-in as the next Patriots defensive coordinator.

Belichick could turn to wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea or assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski as a replacement for McDaniels. Or Belichick could decide to move forward without an offensive coordinator, like what he did in 2009, or without a defensive coordinator like in 2011. In 2010, the Patriots played without either coordinator.

This is not the first time that Belichick will replace both of his coordinators in the same season. In 2005, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis left the Patriots for head-coaching jobs elsewhere. Per Patspulpit.com, Belichick said that any decision involving team personnel, he thinks of what’s best for the organization, explaining his next move about filling in the possible vacancies in his coaching staff. “In the end, what I always try to do is what I think is best for the football team,” said Belichick.
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