Josh McDaniels is returning to New England for his third stint as the Patriots’ coordinator, multiple reports said Tuesday.
McDaniels, 48, will take over the offense held by freshman Drake Maye in new coach Mike Vrabel’s first job in Foxborough, Mass.
McDaniels spent 2001-08 and 2012-21 on the Patriots staff in various roles, first rising to the position of offensive coordinator in 2006. He was a part of all six Super Bowl titles of the Bill Belichick era.
He is also known for failing as a head coach. He was sacked by the Denver Broncos 12 games in his second season with the team in 2010 and had a record eight touchdowns in his second season leading the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.
McDaniels didn’t coach anywhere in 2024, as Sports Illustrated reports that he spent the year “developing” his offense after spending time at various NFL teams and colleges.
In his most recent season as New England’s offensive coordinator, 2021, the Patriots ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring and 15th in yards per game. That was Mac Jones’ rookie year, when he was named a Pro Bowler; went down in the years that followed without McDaniels and was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Maye, 22, threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 appearances (12 starts) as a rookie after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft.
The Patriots went 4-13 and fired Jerod Mayo after one season as their coach following Belichick.
–Field Level Media