Mike Vrabel will reportedly retain Jeremy Springer on Patriots staff

Patriots

Springer impressed in his first season as the Patriots’ special teams coordinator.

There might be a new head coach in Foxborough, but Mike Vrabel reportedly isn’t completely overhauling his Patriots staff moving forward.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Vrabel and the Patriots are retaining special teams coach Jeremy Springer moving forward — providing some semblance of stability on a staff set to be turned upside down following Jerod Mayo’s firing. 

ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted Sunday that “momentum seemed to be building” toward Vrabel keeping Springer, along with top assistant Tom Quinn. 

Vrabel already has a history with Quinn, who served as a special teams assistant with Tennessee during Vrabel’s final season as Titans head coach in 2023.

But Vrabel also had good reason to retain Springer as New England’s special teams coordinator, given that the 35-year-old coach was arguably the best coordinator on Mayo’s staff this past season.

Springer, serving as an NFL special teams coordinator for the first time in his career in 2024 after spending two years as an assistant with the Rams, yielded strong returns in his first year with the Patriots. 

As noted by Rapoport, Pro Football Focus tabbed New England as having the second-best special-teams squad in the NFL this past season — with Brenden Schooler earning First Team All-Pro honors.

While Springer is reportedly sticking around, Vrabel has already started to overhaul personnel on offense. 

According to Reiss, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, running backs coach Taylor Embree, wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes, assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, and coaching assistant Keith Jones Jr. have all been told they won’t be returning to the Patriots in 2025. 

It remains to be seen what happens with current offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. 

Former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels is reportedly considered the “favorite” to replace Van Pelt, while Reiss added that Lions defensive line coach/run-game coordinator Terrell Williams is Vrabel’s “ideal” pick to become the Patriots’ next defensive coordinator.