Getty Images Scott O'Brien served as the Patriots special teams coordinator from 2009-14.
The New England Patriots received another tough blow on Tuesday when long-time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia announced his retirement after a 36-year NFL coaching career. The league’s longest-tenured coach with one team, the 71-year-old is the third key assistant to depart from Bill Belichick’s staff this offseason.
Earlier this month, former special team coordinator Joe Judge was named the newest head coach of the New York Giants. Joining him is former Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema who has reportedly accepted a new, unannounced role on Judge’s staff.
New England’s special teams unit was among the league’s best in 2019 and Judge’s replacement will certainly walk into heightened expectations. Among the top internal candidates for the open job is Patriots assistant special teams coach Cam Achord, who worked directly alongside Judge dating back to 2018. However, another familiar name has emerged as a candidate, according to NFL Network reporter Michael Giardi.
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“A name to keep in mind as the #Patriots continue to shape their coaching staff is former special teams coach Scott O’Brien,” wrote Giardi on Tuesday. “There have been discussions to bring O’Brien back. He retired from on field work back in February of 2015 but has done some area scouting for the team.”
A name to keep in mind as the #Patriots continue to shape their coaching staff is former special teams coach Scott O’Brien. There have been discussions to bring O’Brien back. He retired from on field work back in February of 2015 but has done some area scouting for the team.
The 62-year-old O’Brien spent 24 seasons coaching in the NFL, most recently serving as New England’s special teams coordinator for six years between 2009 to 2014. He helped lead two units to the Super Bowl and took home the Lombardi Trophy in his final coaching season in 2014. Shortly after retiring in 2015, Belichick publically announced that O’Brien would be sticking around the team in another role.
“I have never worked with a coach better than Scott O’Brien,” said Belichick in a statement. “Scott is second to none at preparation, strategy, teaching, techniques, fundamentals, scouting and virtually any other aspect of teambuilding, game planning or player development that exists in football. I thank Scott for making me a better coach, finding and developing countless players and being such a tremendous asset at both organizations we worked together. Scott O’Brien is undoubtedly one of the finest coaches of his generation and he deserves having his final game be a Super Bowl championship. While we will miss his contributions in coaching, we look forward to continuing to work with him in other capacities.”
That new role was contributing to the team’s personnel department as an area scout, which O’Brien has continued to do in the years since. Now, a third stint on Belichick’s staff is within the realm of possibility. As noted by Pats Pulpit, the former special teams coordinator held the same title in the early 1990s for the Belichick-led Cleveland Browns.
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