Patriots hire former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, promote DeMarcus Covington to DC

Updated Feb. 1, 2024 6:51 p.m. ET

Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Fired Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has been hired for the same job with the New England Patriots, giving first-time head coach Jerod Mayo an experienced voice on offense.

The team also confirmed the widely reported promotion of defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator. Covington has served as an assistant in New England since 2017. Los Angeles Rams assistant Jeremy Springer was hired this week to be the Patriots special teams coordinator.

Mayo, a former linebacker and linebackers coach, was promoted to replace Bill Belichick after the team parted ways with the six-time Super Bowl champion following a 4-13 season. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien left to take the same role at Ohio State.

Van Pelt, 53, was fired after the Browns lost 45-14 to the Houston Texans in the playoffs. He had been Cleveland’s offensive coordinator since 2020, adding the role of quarterbacks coach last season.

He had also worked for the Bengals, Packers, Buccaneers and Bills during a 20-year career as an NFL assistant, also working for the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe and the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference.

Van Pelt was a quarterback at Pittsburgh, where he broke the school’s records for single-season and career passing yards that had been held by Dan Marino. An eighth-round pick by the Steelers in the 1993 draft, he also spent time as a backup with the Chiefs and Bills.

He spent nine seasons in Buffalo, making 11 starts and throwing for 2,985 yards 16 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.

Covington, 34, has been the Patriots defensive line coach for the past four seasons. He had also worked at Eastern Illinois, Tennessee-Martin, Ole Miss and Alabama-Birmingham. He played two seasons as a wide receiver at Samford.

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