While there have been some transferring items, the New England Patriots’ coaching staff as a complete remained largely unchanged in 2026. The group did add some important expertise to the combo, nonetheless, hiring former New York Giants and Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen as a defensive analyst.
Bowen coming to Foxborough reunites him with a number of of his former Titans colleagues; he was Tennessee’s defensive coordinator underneath Mike Vrabel from 2021 to 2023 and the group’s outdoors linebackers coach for the three seasons earlier than that.
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“Shane’s got a lot of experience in how we do things,” stated Vrabel through the Patriots’ necessary minicamp at Gillette Stadium final week. “He has been very valuable to me, personally, going back to Ohio State. We learned how to coach together. And that is a thing I will always appreciate about Shane, is that we learned how to coach. I’m proud of what he has done in this league and am excited about him being here and helping us.”
One a part of stated assistance is utilizing his experience to assist among the youthful coaches on the staff, says Vrabel.
“He assists the defense and helps some of the young guys,” the reigning NFL Coach of the Year defined. “Excited about Kevin Richardson and B.J. Edmonds — those are younger coaches on our staff — that those guys can go to Shane, ask him and rely on him to fill in the gaps, maybe while some of the other coaches have something going on or they’re meeting with players.”
Another one of many youthful guys, not less than when it comes to on-the-job expertise, is Zak Kuhr. Officially the Patriots’ inside linebackers coach in 2025, Kuhr spent a lot of the season as play-caller following then-defensive coordinator Terrell Williams’ prostate most cancers prognosis.
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In the offseason, Kuhr was formally promoted to DC for the primary time in his profession. And whereas he fared admirably nicely as a de facto coordinator final season already, any and all help and extra assets he can have at his disposal is welcome from the group’s perspective and Kuhr’s as nicely.
“He’s just another great sounding board when I have questions, and you know he’s going to give me the true, honest answer,” he stated. “There’s a deep enough relationship there for it.”
Kuhr and Bowen first crossed paths at Ohio State in 2012. The former was an intern and the latter a graduate assistant on a staff that additionally featured Mike Vrabel as defensive position coach. They later reunited underneath Vrabel in Tennessee, and spent 2024 in New York alongside each other.
Kuhr ultimately departed his position as a defensive assistant for the Giants final offseason to come work for Vrabel in New England. Bowen remained in New York as defensive coordinator, however was fired in November.
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Now, the 2 are again collectively once more.
“I love working with Shane. I probably would not be here today without Shane,” Kuhr stated. “We’ve always had that chemistry. I was grateful that he brought me with him to New York, so we’ve only had a year apart now, and it’s like we were never apart before.”