Patriots Hire ex Giants Coach Ben McAdoo as Offensive Assistant

The New England Patriots have hired former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo as an offensive assistant under head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots continue their seismic shift on offense by adding some veteran insight to the staff of new head coach Jerod Mayo. 

The Patriots, per NFL Network, have hired former New York Giants coach Ben McAdoo to their offensive staff. McAdoo is expected to play an assistant head coach-type role under Mayo, while assisting newly-hired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

New England Patriots offensive assistant coach Ben McAdoo / Cred: USA Today Images

McAdoo, who started his pro coaching career in 2004 as an offensive quality control coach with the New Orleans Saints, has been the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator since 2022. He is perhaps best-known for his brief, yet eventful tenure as Giants head coach from 2016-2017. The 46-year-old led New York to an 11-5 record, as well as a playoff-berth in his first season at the helm. However, the team regressed massively in his second year — a season marred by numerous injuries and player suspensions. McAdoo also made the controversial decision to bench quarterback Eli Manning in Week 13, ending his 210-consecutive start streak. He, along with general manager Jerry Reese, were fired after compiling a 2-10 record in 2017.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of New England’s interest in McAdoo stems from his time working with the Green Bay Packers. From 2006-13, the Pennsylvania native served as tight ends coach (2006-11,) and quarterbacks coach from 2012-13. During that span, McAdoo worked alongside Van Pelt under former Packers — and current Dallas Cowboys — head coach Mike McCarthy. He also reported into a front office in which current Patriots director of scouting, Eliot Wolf, played a prominent role. Wolf, has been mentioned as a potential Patriots general manager candidate, having spent the majority of January assisting Mayo with his coaching interviews and vetting process.

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McAdoo’s experience working with both Wolf and Van Pelt now solidifies the notion that the Patriots operations will have a distinctively new look and process for the upcoming season. His experience with blending both outside zone and gap run concepts into a short-game passing offense promises to be a solid fit within New England’s pivot to a west-coast style. Most importantly, his vast football knowledge should be an asset to his former colleague Van Pelt, along with Mayo, as New England looks to reshape an offense which finished No. 32 in scoring last season. 

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