Patriots expected to hire Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator, per reports – Boston Herald

The Patriots are expected to hire Josh McDaniels as their new offensive coordinator, according to reports.

McDaniels returns for his third stint as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, having worked in that role from 2006-08 and then 2012-21. He has been out of football since being fired as the Raiders’ head coach midway through the 2023 season, and interviewed in Foxboro this week, according to sources.

Over his last season in New England, the Patriots averaged 27.4 points per game, something they haven’t done since McDaniels left. That year, the Pats ranked sixth in scoring offense and top-10 by several other key metrics. McDaniels also developed then first-round rookie quarterback Mac Jones into a Pro Bowl alternate.

The 48-year-old coach is now responsible for the development of franchise quarterback Drake Maye, who heads into his second NFL season after a successful rookie campaign.

McDaniels brings two decades of experience coaching quarterbacks, dating back to his first year on staff in 2004. He coached Tom Brady for most of Brady’s tenure in New England, along with Jones, Matt Cassel, Cam Newton and others. Over McDaniels’ two prior stints, he contributed to six Super Bowl titles and helped morph the Patriots offense several times from a spread attack to a two-tight end operation and power running team.

McDaniels’ experience as a head coach, coordinator and quarterbacks coach seemed to appeal to new head coach Mike Vrabel. While the two have never worked together, McDaniels was on staff for all of Vrabel’s playing days in New England from 2001-08. They later went head-to-head as offensive and defensive assistants, then head coaches when Vrabel was in Tennessee.

Since McDaniels’ departure, the Pats have cycled through three different offensive play-callers in as many years and annually ranked among the league’s worst offensive teams. Last season, they averaged 17 points per game under Alex Van Pelt.

Over the weekend, the Patriots also interviewed Vikings assistant Grant Udinski, a 28-year-old rising star in Minnesota. This season, Udinski worked as the Vikings’ assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach. Udinski first coached quarterbacks in 2023, one year after arriving in Minnesota as an assistant to the head coach with a focus on special projects.

Udinski made his NFL debut as a coaching assistant in Carolina, where he worked under former Panthers head coach Matt Rhule from 2020-21. Rhule first hired Udinski as a graduate assistant at Baylor University in 2019. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said this season he believes Udinski will become a head coach and offensive coordinator soon.