The New England Patriots might be getting a new assistant coach.
According to reports, Ohio State's defensive coordinator Greg Schiano — who is leaving his post at the school — is being eyed by the Pats for a coaching position.
Ohio State's head coach Ryan Day issued a statement wishing Schiano “all the best” as he pursued NFL options.
— Ryan Day (@ryandaytime) January 7, 2019
Schiano's last gig with the NFL was in 2011, when he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At that time, he coached for two seasons, but he was fired from his post when the Bucs went 4-13 in 2013.
And though Greg Schiano has never coached for the Pats, he has great relationships within the team — so much so that, in 2017, he was up for the defensive coordinator position for the team after Matt Patricia left to join the Detroit Lions. Ultimately, though, he decided to stay at Ohio State.
Article Continues BelowAdditionally, when Schiano was the head coach at Rutgers University — from 2001 to 2011 — he sent three former Scarlet Knights to the Patriots: Duran Harmon and twins Jason and Devin McCourty.
Pats defensive coordinator Brian Flores has drawn a lot of interest as a head coach from several NFL teams, and there's a good chance he'll vacate the position to take a serious offer.
Greg Schiano may prove to be the best defensive coordinator option for the Pats if Patricia vacates his post.
New England is still one of the top teams to beat in the AFC and having Schiano run their defense could bring a lot of much-needed toughness and energy.