Mike Vrabel's coaching staff is starting to take shape.
The New England Patriots have hired Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams as their new defensive coordinator, the team announced Wednesday. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss first reported Williams' expected hiring.
Williams spent six seasons on Vrabel's staff with the Tennessee Titans as defensive line coach and added "assistant head coach" to his title in 2023. Vrabel had Williams serve as Tennessee's acting head coach for the team's 2023 preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, so it's clear Vrabel holds the 50-year-old assistant in high regard.
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"The respect I have for him, the way that he goes about his business, the way he treats people, the way he treats coaches and players, he has a great grasp of it,” Vrabel told The Athletic about Williams last year.
“He got along and had relationships with offensive coaches, special teams coaches, defensive coaches. He knows what he believes. He’s a good football coach, a great husband, great father."
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Williams has more than 25 years of coaching experience, almost exclusively as a defensive line coach. The East Carolina alum spent about 13 years in the college ranks as a d-line coach at Youngstown State, Akron, Purdue and Texas A&M, among other stops, before beginning his NFL coaching career with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2012.
His other NFL stops include the Miami Dolphins (2015-17), Titans (2018-2023) and this past season with the Lions, where he also served as Detroit's run game coordinator. The Lions allowed just 98.4 rushing yards per game in 2024, fifth-fewest in the NFL.
The Patriots are now staffed at all three coordinator positions under Vrabel; Josh McDaniels is set to serve as offensive coordinator, while Jeremy Springer is staying on as special teams coordinator.