As the New England Patriots gear up for the upcoming NFL season, all eyes are on their revamped special teams unit, which found itself ranking amongst the worst in the league over the last two seasons.
Recognizing the critical need for a turnaround, the Patriots have embarked on a bold mission to revitalize their special teams by assembling a fresh and innovative coaching staff.
With a roster brimming with new ideas and diverse experiences, these specialists are poised to breathe new life into a unit that will no longer have Matthew Slater leading the way.
Let’s dive into the Patriots’ new-look special teams coaching staff, led by rookie coordinator Jeremy Springer.
Special teams coordinator: Jeremy Springer
Jeremy Springer is a first-time special teams coordinator that had stops at UTEP (as a coach and player) and Texas A&M as a special teams quality control coach early in his career.
In 2018, Springer joined the Arizona Wildcats for a special teams coordinator position, before taking a job with Marshall in 2021. From there, he went to the Los Angeles Rams to become their assistant special teams coach and ultimately ended up in New England after two seasons.
Springer will certainly have his work cut out for him. An abysmal Patriots special teams unit over the last two years could get even worse with Matthew Slater retiring.
Special teams assistant: Tom Quinn
Quinn brings plenty of experience to back Springer.
He was the special teams coordinator and an assistant for the New York Giants from 2007-2021, winning two Super Bowls with the franchise. He returned to coaching in 2023 as the Titans special teams assistant, before being named the coordinator for the remainder of the season.
He joins the Patriots with plenty of experience and will be a driving force in helping Springer turn the special teams unit around.
Special teams assistant/quality control: Coby Tippett
Coby Tippett, who played college ball at Rhode Island, is the son of NFL and Patriots legend Andre Tippett.
The Patriots invited him to training camp last season, when he came out of college. That was ultimately before he joined the coaching staff working with cornerbacks at Tufts University.
Tippett gets an incredible opportunity to work with the Patriots’ special teams unit as a quality control specialist. He’ll assist in prepping Springer for the upcoming opponents.
Kick returner coach: Troy Brown (NOT CONFIRMED)
It is not confirmed what Brown’s role will be, but he has coached since 2016 initially as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He was officially on the coaching staff in 2019, before getting an actual title in 2020 as the team’s running backs and returners coach.
His final switch saw him coaching wide receivers and returners from 2021-2023.
Brown is an aspiring play-caller, and he has had two chances to run offenses during the 2023 Shrine Bowl in which he was the head coach, and during the 2024 Senior Bowl when he served as the offensive coordinator.
Brown is reportedly staying on staff after being offered a chance to return. With Tyler Hughes and Tiquan Underwood added to the wide receivers room, Brown will likely remain as a returners coach for the Patriots, but once again, this has not been confirmed.
Strength and conditioning coach: Deron Mayo (NOT CONFIRMED)
Jerod Mayo’s brother has been an assistant for years under Moses Cabrera, and the Patriots have reportedly moved on from Cabrera, allowing them to name Deron Mayo as the team’s new strength and conditioning coordinator.
It would be an important promotion for Deron, who would handle getting players prepared for the rigors of the NFL game. Those efforts are especially important when dealing with younger athletes adjusting to the new speed of the league.
For Jerod, it’s important having his brother Deron as another sounding board on the coaching staff that can help solidify the culture in the weight room.
Assistant strength and conditioning coach: Brian McDonough
McDonough is the owner of Edge Performance Systems in Foxborough and has helped high school and collegiate athletes in the area achieve their goals of reaching peak performance. He famously worked with Patriots legend Julian Edelman, who raved about McDonough and how he helped him coming off of an ACL injury and a four-game suspension, when he couldn’t use the team facilities.
McDonough has helped other Patriots players as well, including defensive end Derek Rivers. He should be a valuable addition under Deron Mayo’s strength and conditioning program.
Like the Patriots are doing with Jeremy Springer and Tom Quinn, they’ll have another veteran to help guide a promising young coach as they prepare to take on a much larger role.
