Former Tennessee Coach Doug Marrone Takes New Role with the New England Patriots
A former assistant coach for the Tennessee Vols, Doug Marrone, is reportedly joining the New England Patriots’ coaching staff. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Marrone has been hired by the Patriots under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Marrone previously worked with the Vols in 2001 as their tight ends coach and offensive tackles coach under head coach Phillip Fulmer. His time at Tennessee was short-lived, as he left after just one season to take a job with the New York Jets. Fulmer praised Marrone for his work with the team, expressing his appreciation for the coach’s efforts and the way he handled his departure. “Doug Marrone is a very fine coach, and now we’ll go hire another fine coach to replace him,” Fulmer said, noting Marrone’s positive impact during his time at Tennessee.
Beyond his brief stint in Knoxville, Marrone has a wealth of coaching experience at both the collegiate and professional levels. After Tennessee, he continued his career in the SEC, coaching at both Georgia and Alabama. He also had a notable run as the head coach of Syracuse University from 2009 to 2012. Marrone’s success at Syracuse led to a promotion to head coach of the Buffalo Bills, a role he held for two years. His most prominent NFL tenure came in 2017 when he was named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He remained in that role until the conclusion of the 2020 season.
While younger Tennessee fans may not remember Marrone’s time with the Vols, they might recall his name from 2021 when he was briefly mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Jeremy Pruitt as head coach of Tennessee before Josh Heupel was ultimately hired.
Now, Marrone will be joining a New England Patriots staff that boasts significant coaching talent. Along with Marrone, the Patriots’ roster of coaches includes long-time offensive coordinator and former NFL head coach Josh McDaniels.
Vrabel, who is taking over for former linebacker Jerod Mayo as head coach of the Patriots, enters his first season in the role. His addition of Marrone, an experienced and respected coach, further solidifies the Patriots’ strong coaching staff as they look to contend in the competitive NFL landscape.
