An infamous name in Las Vegas Raiders history is back in the league.
Josh McDaniels is not held in the highest renown by the Raiders faithful, as many see him as a symbol of all that went wrong when the franchise tried to emulate the “Patriot Way.”
McDaniels was unable to build a culture similar to the one he left with the New England Patriots, and he was fired before he finished his second season in 2023.
Between his two stints with Las Vegas and the Denver Broncos from 2009-10, McDaniels has gone 20-33 as a head coach in the NFL.
Despite that poor track record, McDaniels is still hailed in some circles as an offensive guru, and that reputation has brought him back to his old stomping ground.
On Tuesday, McDaniels was hired to serve as new head coach Mike Vrabel’s offensive coordinator with the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport. It will be his third stint with the team.
McDaniels interviewed for the position the same day, indicating he was always the favorite for the position. According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, McDaniels still lives in Foxborough and has a strong relationship with Vrabel.
During his two stints with the Patriots, McDaniels was responsible for working with Tom Brady and helping guide him into the legendary quarterback he became. In his last season with the team, however, he also guided Mac Jones to second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2020.
Now, the Patriots are looking to him to ignite the career of Drake Maye, who the team drafted third overall in 2024. Maye showed great promise in his rookie season, and now they hope McDaniels can have the same impact on him as he had with previous quarterbacks.
