The New England Patriots offseason consisted of changes up and down the roster and coaching staff, in hopes of restoring a winning culture after three straight losing seasons in Foxborough. Headlined by Mike Vrabel, the Patriots brought in 14 new coaches this offseason, many of whom have coached with Vrabel before. The Titans went 54-45 with three playoff appearances under Vrabel’s rule from 2018-2023, including going to the AFC Championship game in 2019.
A big reason for Tennessee’s success was their effective run game with Derrick Henry and their raucous defensive line, headed by Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry III. In 2022, the Titans finished first in rushing defense, only surrendering 76.9 rushing yards per game. The coach of those stout defensive lines, Terrell Williams, is now the Patriots’ defensive coordinator under Vrabel, and has returned to the sidelines just in time for training camp after dealing with an undisclosed health issue.
Patriots DC Terrell Williams Returns for First Day of Training Camp
Williams was kept out of the Patriots’ spring practices, including OTAs and minicamp, due to a health scare he endured in the spring. While he wasn’t with the team in person, Williams communicated with his defense through other avenues while he recovered in Detroit. The Patriots and their fans are glad to have Williams back on the sidelines to coach what should be one of the NFL’s best defenses.
#Patriots DC Terrell Williams is back in the facility for the first time in months. He was away for most of the offseason program after an unspecified medial incident.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) July 22, 2025
Throughout OTAs and minicamp, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr took over the majority of Williams’ responsibilities. Now, the Patriots get their defensive coordinator back just in time for when the pads come on.
Just like Vrabel brought in coaches he’s familiar with, he did the same with bringing in players he’s coached over the years. Across the defense, Harold Landry III, Jack Gibbens, Carlton Davis, and Monty Rice have all played under Vrabel or Williams at one point. With other big-name signings in Milton Williams and Robert Spillane, the Patriots’ defense will look to wreak havoc on opposing offenses all season.
After an inexperienced coaching staff led the Patriots in 2024, New England made sure not to make the same mistake this season. Vrabel has 14 years under his belt, and McDaniels has been coaching 24 years at the NFL level, including two head coaching stints.
Williams has 27 years of coaching experience over his career. He spent last season with the Lions as their defensive line coach, and previously held the same role with the Titans from 2018-2023. Before Tennessee and Detroit, Williams was the Raiders’ defensive line coach from 2012-2014, and then spent three seasons with the Dolphins from 2015-2017.
As a former defensive tackle during his playing days at East Carolina, Williams will be tasked with getting New England out of the gutter in terms of sack numbers (finished last with 28 in 2024) and takeaways (finished with 12, second-least in the NFL in 2024). The good news is that the Patriots brought in talent on all three levels of the defense through free agency and the draft. Patriots fans should be excited to watch this new defense fly around the field all season.
