SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots looks on prior to the start of Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots made several moves to the coaching staff on Tuesday. They hired Vinny DePalma as the inside linebackers coach. They also added former Southern Mississippi running backs coach BJ Edmonds to the staff. Edmonds’ role is unspecified. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported the hiring of DePalma. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the Edmonds addition.
DePalma has ties to the New England region. He played at Boston College from 2018-2023 and was the team captain for the 2022 in 2023 seasons. He officially joined the patriots coaching staff in 2024 as a defensive assistant.
Edmonds served as a defensive analyst for Duke University prior to his time at Southern Mississippi. He also worked at Utah State for three seasons as a defensive recruiting analyst and a defensive graduate assistant.
He also has experience playing collegiately, playing as a defensive back at Arkansas State University from 2016 to 2019.
Patriots Bringing In Coaches With Playing Experience
DePalma recorded 228 total tackles, including 146 solo tackles, during his time at Chestnut Hill. He had 82 assisted tackles throughout his career. His best season came in 2023. That year, he had 87 tackles. The linebacker was the team’s leading tackler for the second year in a row.
Edmonds was a four-year letterman and three-year starter for Arkansas State. He recorded 265 tackles, including 97 in 2019. The defensive back had eight interceptions, 28 pass breakups, and three forced from the spirit he was an All-Sun Belt Conference honorable mention in 2017. He made the second team in 2019.
Patriots Continuing Coaching Staff Changes
Both these moves continue what has been a busy week of changes for the Patriots coaching staff. The organization has undergone a slew of changes over the last week regarding the staff. Zak Kuhr is reportedly expected to be named defensive coordinator for the organization. This was reported by multiple media news outlets as well.
On top of this, the Patriots will still keep former defensive coordinator Terrell Williams in a role on the team. The organization is busy making coaching moves at a time when the team is looking towards the future after a productive postseason run.
Both DePalma and Edmonds could be in line for bigger roles in the future. Vrabel is not afraid to elevate his assistants when necessary, as evidenced by the Kuhr movement. These moves could be a chance for a guy like DePalma to be able to elevate his career and get noticed in a bigger role.
This is also a chance for Edmonds to shine, after coaching mostly in the collegiate ranks. He now gets a chance to work under a stable organization. Either way, this is an opportunity for both young coaches to show what they can do on a bigger stage. Much like the team itself, the Patriots coaching staff has promising assistants who could use additional development.
It will be interesting to see what other moves the Patriots make on the coaching staff, or if these are the final touches. One thing is for certain: These moves are just the beginning of what is expected to be a busy offseason overall.