When you’re good, people notice. When you’re great, like the Patriots have been for the last two decades everyone wants a piece. The brain drain that the Patriots have had to overcome since the NFL’s hungriest hyenas starting circling their territory, is one of this team’s greatest feats. Coach and personnel erosion has been a part of the Patriots reality for 15 years and they have persevered through it with great success.
My question is, when does this constant hijacking of talent become too much to overcome?
With Tom Brady’s future hanging in the balance this offseason, continuity has never been more important to this organization and the Patriots just lost a big piece of that. Dante Scarnecchia is not the first to leave and his retirement at age 72 is no surprise. However, it’s a big loss as this ball of string continues to unravel and erode the Patriots’ core of brain trust. What happens with Brady is this offseason’s biggest challenge, but you would be foolish to underestimate the continuous, utter erosion of their coaching staff and its potential impact.
The list of assistant coaches and personnel types that have been scavenged from the Patriots is lengthy and as teams across the league endlessly look to replicate their success, the deluge of lost talent only seems to be picking up momentum. The Patriots last second kick save of Josh McDaniels in the winter of 2018 is clear evidence that the Patriots themselves know how important continuity is to sustain success as I wrote at the time here.
Nationally at the time, much was made about McDaniels himself and how his decision would end up showing poorly on him in terms of finding future head coaching opportunities. However, the real story to me was the Patriots recognizing the critical need to keep some form of continuity in their football structure. Now two years later, that need is even more magnified with a roster filled with questions to fortify and the very real possibility of losing their quarterback for the first time in 20 years.
Coaches matter and the Patriots have lost a bunch.
This has been going on since that long hug between Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis after winning Super Bowl XXXIX versus Philadelphia. Everyone knew that Crennel and Weis would be gone at that moment, including the three of them, hence the rare public show of affection. However, the brain drain of Patriots assistants over the last two years runs far deeper.
Here’s the list of the faithfully departed since defeating the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Brian Flores: former Linebackers Coach and Defensive Play Caller in 2018.
Brendan Daly: former Defensive Line Coach in 2018.
Chad O’Shea: former Wide Receivers Coach in 2018.
Jerry Schuplinski: former Wide Receivers Coach & Assistant Quarterbacks Coach in 2018.
Josh Boyer: former Wide Receivers Coach & Assistant Quarterbacks Coach in 2018.
Atif Austin: Coaching Assistant in 2018.
Dante Scarnecchia: retired this week after 34 years in the Patriots organization.
Joe Judge: former Special Teams Coordinator & Wide Receivers Coach in 2019.
Bret Bielema: former Defensive Line Coach in 2019.
And don’t forget Greg “we hardly knew ya” Schiano who was earmarked last offseason to be the next Patriots Defensive Coordinator.
Speaking of Patriots Defensive Coordinators, if you count Brian Flores (which I most certainly do), they’ve said goodbye to five of them during the Belichick era; Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Dean Peas, Matt Patricia and Flores. Six if you count Schiano.
Each week we watch games across the NFL and marvel at how much smarter Belichick and his Patriots are versus the competition. When you’re not watching the Patriots, the increase in questionable coaching decisions, stupid penalties and time management issues escalate. Credit to Belichick and the Patriots coaches for being the most prepared, but how many of these guys are out there? When do you start getting diminishing returns?
Not convinced? Here’s a list of even more names of coaches and personnel types the Patriots have had to say goodbye to over these last 16 years: Bill O’Brien, Rob Ryan, Brian Daboll, Pepper Johnson, Scott Pioli, Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson, Bob Quinn, Shane Waldron, Dom Capers, Ray Ventrone, Dave Deguglielmo, Brian Ferentz, Patrick Graham and Mike Lombardi. As noted above, this issue has escalated these last two years.
Structure and continuity have been hallmarks during this multi-dynastic Patriots era and that’s specifically why these coaching and personnel losses cannot be discounted.
Related
