FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots have reportedly found their next defensive coordinator.
Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams is leaving the Motor City for Foxboro, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Williams worked on new Patriots head coach Mike Vrable’s coaching staff in Tennessee from 2018 to 2023.
“Vrabel thought so highly of Williams that he had him serve as head coach of the Titans’ 2023 preseason opener,” Schefter wrote in a post on X.
In 2022, Williams helped the Titans finish first in the NFL in rushing defense.
Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who worked with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee from 2018-2023, is leaving Detroit to become the Patriots defensive coordinator, sources tell @MikeReiss and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 22, 2025
Vrabel thought so highly of Williams that he had him serve as head coach of the… pic.twitter.com/sZdeQoT6NL
Williams will take over the defensive coordinator duties from DeMarcus Covington.
News of Williams making the move to the Patriots comes less than 24 hours after it became known that Josh McDaniels was returning for a third stint in New England and to serve as Vrabel’s offensive coordinator.
Vrabel was introduced earlier this month as the 16th head coach in Patriots franchise history, just days after Jerod Mayo was abruptly fired.
The coaching shakeup comes after the Patriots finished 4-13 in the 2024 season.
New England holds the fourth overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft and has a chance to build around quarterback Drake Maye, who is coming off a promising rookie campaign.
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