The retirement of Rob Gronkowski has gotten all the headlines, but the Patriots also lost another potentially key piece when presumed defensive coordinator Greg Schiano revealed he was leaving New England.
Schiano, who was brought in to replace Brian Flores after he left to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins, cited “family and faith” in the surprise announcement about his departure.
With Schiano, Flores, Gronk, ex-defensive line coach Brendan Daly, ex-cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer and a number of other players and coaches now in other places, New England coach Bill Belichick is being forced to rebuild on the fly – immediately.
“Here’s a chance to see the best head coach in NFL history churn his staff again, post-Super Bowl, just before his 67th birthday,” according to Sports Illustrated. “It will be both a lesson in preparedness—he does have one-time rising collegiate coaching star Bret Bielema just sitting on staff as a consultant, along with a handful of other coaching assistants who will undoubtedly earn bigger roles—and a rare window into what he might look for in a coach at a time when the league is changing rapidly. There are times in the NFL when it’s right to push the panic button. This isn’t one of them. This is a time to watch and learn.”
As part of the rebuild, Belichick may decide to take over defensive coordinator duties as he has done in the past, most recently during 2010.
If he doesn’t and opts not to bring in more outside help, there’s a chance his son Steve, amazingly the most senior member of New England’s defensive staff, could assume the role.
However, given the younger Belichick’s inexperience, it seems more likely his father will once again call plays for New England’s defense.
“After mixed results nine years ago, Belichick has yet another opportunity to prove why he is who he is,” according to Boston’s The Sports Hub. “His situation on the defensive staff? It is what it is. In the wake of Schiano’s departure, the onus may simply fall on him. But it’s hard not to be confident that he can figure it out. And let’s be honest. It may be a better option than Schiano.”
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