Patriots Appoint Ashton Grant as QBs Coach, Announce Additional Coaching Changes, and Two Planned Key Players Today.
The composition of Mike Vrabel’s New England staff is still developing. Above all, the Patriots have hired a new quarterbacks coach to work with Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels. Ashton Grant has been hired by the Patriots, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
The bulk of Grant’s coaching career has been in Cleveland, where he rose from offensive quality control coach to quarterbacks coach. Grant received recognition for his management of the remainder of the depth chart, including Jameis Winston, even if Deshaun Watson’s performance was far from ideal.
He will be taking over a quarterback’s room in New England that has two young arms in Joe Milton and Maye. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, Grant will take T.C. McCartney’s place, as the former is not anticipated to return to the Patriots in a new capacity.
The Patriots had not yet completed their coaching staff additions. Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that Jason Houghtaling is anticipated to become a member of the New England staff. Prior to spending the previous season with the Bears, Houghtaling worked as an OL coaching assistant for Vrabel in Tennessee. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Riley Larkin will join the team as an offensive assistant at other offensive positions. Larkin most recently worked in the quarterback’s room at Ohio State as an offensive assistant.
On the opposite side of the ball, former Titans defensive assistant Clint McMillan will also be traveling to New England with his old employer, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Additionally, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Patriots are anticipated to employ Scott Booker, a senior defensive assistant and coordinator of the Bills nickels. In keeping with the idea, Booker and Vrabel had previously collaborated while the two were with the Titans. Lastly, according to Zenitz, the Patriots are interested in hiring Justin Hamilton, the assistant defensive backs coach for the Colts, for a position on their defensive staff, even if a contract hasn’t been finalized. It should come as no surprise that Hamilton worked for the Titans in 2023.
Vrabel will also be bidding farewell to a few current coaches as he assembles his first New England staff. Most significantly, Reiss stated that Brian Belichick will not return to the Patriots in 2025. Brian, who is the son of Bill Belichick, has been coaching safety in New England for the last five seasons. He worked under Jerod Mayo, who took over as manager this past year. According to Jones, Drew Wilkins, the Patriots’ most recent outside linebackers coach, is also not anticipated to be kept on, while Reiss reports that Mike Pellegrino, the team’s cornerbacks coach, will not return.
At least one coach from the previous year’s staff will be kept on. According to Reiss, former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is anticipated to remain on Vrabel’s staff. Although McAdoo served as a senior offensive assistant during the previous season, Reiss points out that the coach’s status may change in 2025. Speaking of titles, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the Patriots have also formally appointed John “Stretch” Streicher, Vrabel’s right-hand man, as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy.
