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Patriots Announce Hire of New Director of Coaching Analytics

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Douglas Santo | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Analytics have become a massive part of the NFL over the past few years, and the New England Patriots are bringing in added help in that department. This morning, New England announced the creation of a new position on the coaching staff.

The Patriots hired Ekene Olekanma to be their new director of coaching and analytics.

Olekanma has spent four years in the NFL with the Ravens and 49ers. In 2021, the Ravens hired him as a coaching research and development analyst. A year later, he went to the 49ers to become a football research and development analyst and worked his way up in San Francisco.

Olekanma became the research and development coordinator for two years with the 49ers before earning this directing role with the Patriots.

The Patriots' new hire has a deep, comprehensive background in science and football, which should bring a new perspective to New England.

The analyst earned his Bachelor of Engineering, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering at Toledo, where he played four years of football. Olekanma then went to graduate school at DePaul University, where he earned his Master's degree in Data Science.

The Patriots kept it old-school and simple under legendary coach Bill Belichick, but after his departure and a disastrous 2024 season, the new-look Patriots are dabbling in analytics a little more.

Mike Vrabel is shifting the culture in New England, building relationships between players, and changing the way the team approaches analytics as well.

This is the second hire/promotion by the Patriots in as many days, as the team promoted Tony Kinkela to director of college scouting on Wednesday.

The addition of Olekanma, the new director of coaching analytics, will work closely with Vrabel and his staff on the analytics team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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