Getty Images Patriots coach Ross Douglas making an early impact.
The saga seems to continue with the New England Patriots coaching staff going into this upcoming season. There’s been uncertainty all off-season about who’s coaching which position. Not only have the Patriots been attempting to rebuild their aging roster but also their fairly unknown and established coaching staff.
Realistically, outside of Patriots HC Bill Belichick, former Detroit Lions HC Matt Patricia, and former New York Giants HC Joe Judge, there are no other established coaches on the coaching staff. Many are even skeptical of Patricia and Judge being considered legitimate coaches because of their most recent disappointments.
However, there’s one coach who’s stood out and is currently the youngest position coach on the roster: Ross Douglas.
“Meet #Patriots assistant Ross Douglas, the youngest position coach in the NFL who’s gained Bill Belichick’s complete trust at age 27,” tweeted Andrew Callahan.
“You can just tell he’s an up-and-coming star in the business.”
Meet #Patriots assistant Ross Douglas, the youngest position coach in the NFL who’s gained Bill Belichick’s complete trust at age 27
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Who Is Ross Douglas?
Douglas has a very unique background which has only helped him climb the ladder that much quicker. He played football at Michigan University, where the Pats have drafted nine players under Belichick. This is the most of any school throughout the country, reported Andrew Callahan for the Boston Herald.
After playing at Michigan, he then coached under Belichick’s close friend, Greg Schiano. Schiano recently returned to Rutgers University in 2019, after Belichick expressed he wanted him to be the Patriots’ DC. Later, he spent his first season in New England working closely with Belichick’s sons, Steve and Brian. Primarily, his role was to break down the film and help coordinate the scout team to help prepare for the opposing team that week.
He spent eight months being a coaching assistant absorbing all of this information and work ethic. Eventually, he was rewarded Belichick’s trust and was granted the youngest position coach on the Patriots but also throughout the NFL. As of now, the Patriots haven’t publicly announced Douglas to be a position coach, however, the buzz around him leads many to believe he will be granted a position going forward.
Former coaches have spoken very highly of Douglas’s efforts. Other league sources emphasized he’s a bright coach who connects naturally with players and colleagues. Douglas’s energy is contagious, he’s engaging and willing to take on a variety of tasks if need by, reported Callahan.
“You can just tell he’s an up-and-coming star in the business,” says Richmond coach Russ Huesman, Douglas’ last boss before New England.
“I don’t think he’s going places,” added Schiano, “he’s already gone places.”
Douglas’s Playing Career
Douglas spent all of his playing days in the Big Ten Conference. He played for Michigan dealing with injuries he only managed to play 15 games within three seasons. Ultimately, he left the Wolverines, and with two years left of eligibility, he played for Rutgers University.
While throughout his career he was a bit of a swiss army knife, however, at Rutgers he played primarily LB and safety. He made 11 starts and shortly after tried out to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and pursued the CFL. Eventually, Douglas returned back to Schiano’s coaching staff and helped him coach for the remainder of the year.
“I didn’t want to keep chasing the dream because I realized I wasn’t an NFL player,” Douglas told reporters last week.
“The thing that impressed me was him always thirsting to learn how to do this or do that. He asked a lot of questions,” Schiano said. “You could see he was trying to formulate his own style, and I think he picked up some really good things.”