Even if the Patriots bring back Bill O’Brien, don’t expect Matt Patricia or Joe Judge to go anywhere.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler writes in his Week 17 notes column that he would expect Bill Belichick to reassign Patricia and Judge if there’s a change at offensive coordinator next season. “As for Matt Patricia and Joe Judge (who were appointed this year to head up the offense in spite of their past credentials being mainly on defense and special teams), my guess is Belichick would find other roles on the staff for them because he does believe in them as coaches and values trust above pretty much anything else when looking for assistants,” writes Fowler.
Fowler's theory checks out. Belichick named Patricia a senior football advisor following his firing from the Lions, and rehired Judge last offseason after the Giants fired him. Patricia and Judge have spent a combined 23 seasons coaching under Belichick, including this year.
As Fowler mentions, O’Brien coached in New England from 2007-11, and was the team’s offensive coordinator in 2011. Earlier this week, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran said on WEEI that O’Brien’s return to the Patriots is “probably going to happen.” He’s currently Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama.
A few years ago, Urban Meyer told reporters that Belichick expressed to him that he only wants to coach players whom he “wants to be around” during the latter stage of his career. Belichick appears to apply that same logic to his coaching staff, regardless of the results.
