Third Time’s Charm? Patriots Interview ex Giants Special Teams Coach

The New England Patriots continue to seek improvement for a special teams unit which finished among the bottom-ranked teams in the NFL for 2023.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots may be finding a new way to “do their job” for the upcoming season. However, they are still taking “no days off.” 

Just days after being officially installing Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history, the Pats, per an ESPN report, have interviewed former New York Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey for their positional vacancy. 

The 50-year-old becomes the third coach to be considered by New England to navigate their third-phase — joining Atlanta Falcons’ special teams coordinator Marquice Williams and Los Angeles Rams’ special teams assistant Jeremy Springer.  

Will Thomas McGaughey be the answer for the New England Patriots special teams woes? / Cred: USA Today Images

McGaughey has served as the Giants special teams coordinator since 2018. As such, he has worked under three head coaches: Brian Daboll, Joe Judge (both of which have Patriots ties) and Pat Shurmur. With New York having finished a disappointing 6-11 this season — along with fielding a special teams unit which ranked No. 21 in DVOA —  McGaughey was among several New York coaches to be relieved of their duties earlier this month. 

Prior to his time in New York, McGaughey has coached special teams at both the professional and collegiate levels.  His previous stops included serving as a special teams coordinator for the Houston Texans (2003-04,) New York Jets (2014,) San Francisco 49ers (2015,) and Carolina Panthers (2016-17.) From 2011-13, he performed the duties of both special teams coordinator and defensive assistant. 

New England’s dismal 4-13 finish led to New England choosing to part ways with former coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons as both coach and lead personnel executive. Despite a strong showing from their defense, New England struggled mightily in both offense and special teams. Under the direction of coordinator Cam Achord, the Pats third-phase corps finished No. 28 in special teams DVOA, after finishing last in the metric in 2022. Though second-year special teamer Brendan Schooler earned an All Pro nod for his performance this season, the unit routinely struggled with tackling, undisciplined penalties and rookie kicker Chad Ryland making only 64 percent of his attempts.

Patriots, Mayo Options for Defensive Coordinator?

Should McGaughey, or another candidate, be hired to replace Achord on Mayo’s staff, that individual will likely face the unenviable task of repairing a significantly damaged unit without the guidance of 16-year veteran team captain Matthew Slater — who is expected to retire in the offseason.

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