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Longtime Patriots Coach Makes Decision On 2025 Season

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 5:51 PM ET

The New England Patriots are set to enter a new era next season, as former linebacker Mike Vrabel is taking over as head coach.

After Jerod Mayo's lone season as head coach, the Patriots have turned to another former Super Bowl champion with ties to the organization. Vrabel has previous coaching experience in Tennessee with the Titans, and is expected to help the team accelerate their rebuild in 2025 and beyond.

When Vrabel takes the sidelines later this year, he won't be joined by one longtime Patriots coach.

According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Patriots are parting ways with assistant coach Mike Pellegrino. Pellegrino has been with New England since the 2015 season, winning two Super Bowls as a member of the staff.

Longtime #Patriots assistant coach Mike Pellegrino will not return in 2025, per source.

Pellegrino, 31, was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams over a decade in New England and coached three All-Pros during six years as DBs coach. Mike Vrabel continuing his staff overhaul.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 28, 2025

From 2015 through 2018, Pellegrino worked as a coaching assistant, and from 2019 until this past season he's been the team's cornerbacks coach.

The 31-year-old was a lacrosse standout at Johns Hopkins, earning All-American honors twice. He played in Major League Lacrosse for a season with the New York Lizards, who drafted him in the second round. Pellegrino also played one season for the Boston Cannons in MLL.

Pellegrino's exit is another example of Vrabel building out his staff in his image. The Patriots have several holdovers from the Bill Belichick era, and it seems that Vrabel will be installing many of his own coaches and assistants prior to his debut with the team.

FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 17: Patriots retro Pat Patriot helmets during a game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins on September 17, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The Patriots are looking to reverse their fortunes after back-to-back four-win seasons. Top pick Drake Maye showed promise after taking over as the starting quarterback, but the team clearly has a long way to go before it can contend with some of the best teams in the AFC.

The Patriots are fully embracing the rebuild after two decades of dominance in the NFL, and the effort to get back to the top begins with Vrabel, Maye and the rest of the team in 2025. Pellegrino won't be a part of the continued rebuild effort, and we'll see where he ends up for the new season.

Fans who are interested in catching a glimpse into the Patriots' future can tune into the Pro Bowl this weekend, where Maye will be playing as one of the AFC's quarterbacks.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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