Patriots' Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt: 3 Fun Facts

The New England Patriots' new offensive coordinator is a 53-year-old former NFL quarterback, who broke a Pro Football Hall of Famer's college passing record.

The well-traveled Alex Van Pelt joins Jerod Mayo's staff after spending the past 30 years in professional football. Van Pelt brings an extensive offensive background with him after two decades as a coach, including stints as an offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns.

Here are three things you may not have known about the Patriots' newly-hired offensive play caller.

Post-Playing Career Kickoff in Buffalo

After spending 10 years as a Bills' backup, Van Pelt retired from the NFL in 2004 and immediately landed in Buffalo radio booth. The native Pittsburgher served as the color analyst alongside play-by-play man John Murphy on the team's official game broadcasts.

Van Pelt, who was volunteering for the nearby University at Buffalo as a quarterbacks coach, soon made the transition from the Bills' radio booth to the coaches' box. He joined head coach Dick Jauron's staff as an offensive quality control coach in 2006. He was named OC for the 2009 season.

Pitt Panther Legend

Van Pelt and Dan Marino both played collegiately for Pittsburgh, but only one of the men passed for more than 10,000 yards there. After Marino (7,905) graduated as the school's all-time leading passer, Van Pelt shattered the career record by finishing with 10,913 yards in 1992.

Van Pelt held Pitt's passing record for nearly 30 years until 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett (12,303) surpassed him in 2021. Pittsburgh competed in the Big East Conference, which no longer sponsors football, back during the Van Pelt era.