Doug Marrone reportedly joining Patriots coaching staff
FOXBORO -- Mike Vrabel continues to add veteran coaches to his Patriots staff, reportedly hiring Doug Marrone to fill an unspecified role in New England, according to multiple reports.
Marrone, 60, has worn many hats in the NFL. He's been an offensive line coach, an offensive coordinator, and has been a head coach twice, when he led the Buffalo Bills from 2013-14 and the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016-20.
He could potentially become New England's offensive line coach, replacing the departed Scott Peters, who left to take a job with the Cincinnati Bengals. But whatever role he fills, Marrone will bring a lot of experience to the New England sideline.
Who is Doug Marrone?
Marrone is a former offensive lineman himself, having played in the NFL from 1986-91. He began coaching after his playing days ended and got his start in the college game, with stops at Cortland State, Coast Guard, Northeastern, Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Tennessee.
He broke into the NFL as the offensive line coach of the New York Jets in 2002, and held that position until 2005 He left the Jets to become the offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints in 2006, a position he held for three seasons.
After a successful stint leading the Saints offense, Marrone became the head coach of Syracuse University in 2009. He went 25-25 in his three seasons with the Orange, and was hired as head coach of the Bills in 2013.
Marrone went 6-10 in his first season in Buffalo and 9-7 in 2014, but then used an opt-out clause that was trigged by the sale of the team. The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Marrone to be their head coach during the 2016 season.
The Jaguars went 10-6 and made a run to the AFC Championship Game in his first full season on the sideline, but Marrone and Jacksonville fell to the Patriots, 24-20, at Gillette Stadium with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Jacksonville didn't have another winning season under Marrone, who was fired in 2020 after a 1-15 season.
Overall, Marrone was 23-43 over his five seasons as head coach of the Jags. He owns a 38-60 record as a head coach in the NFL.
Marrone was the offensive line coach at Alabama in 2021 when the Crimson Tide won a national title, and was then the offensive line coach of the Saints from 2022-23. He spent last season as Senior Analyst for Football Strategy for Bill O'Brien at Boston College.
Jason Houghtaling also joining Patriots staff
In addition to Marrone, the Patriots are also reportedly adding Jason Houghtaling to the coaching staff, according to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss. Vrabel is extremely familiar with Houghtaling, who was his assistant offensive line coach on the Titans staff from 2021-22 and the team's offensive line coach in 2023.
Houghtaling was the assistant offensive line coach of the Chicago Bears in 2024. The 44-year-old spent 15 years at the college level before he got his first NFL job in Tennessee, including a five-year run as head coach at Wagner. Houghtaling was 16-40 as head coach at Wagner, and also had stints as the offensive coordinator at Williams (2011) and Cornell (2013).
Marrone and Houghtaling will now join an offensive staff in New England led by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Houghtaling could potentially be the team's O-line coach, while Marrone could serve a more senior role while having a heavy hand in the offensive line.
The Patriots are also reportedly hiring Thomas Brown as the team's tight ends coach/pass game coordinator, while Tony Dews and Riley Larkin have also reportedly been added to Vrabel's staff in unspecified roles.
