The Patriots 2024 season was filled with chaos and drama, most of which seemed to stem from the coaching staff for all the right and wrong reasons. Unfortunately, that began in the offseason when Robert Kraft dismissed Bill Belichick after nearly a quarter-century tenure and chose Jerod Mayo as his successor.
That decision was met with a lot of controversy for several reasons, mainly the lack of an interview process to cast a wide net in replacing the greatest head coach of all time and the alleged scheme behind the scenes to promote Mayo a year earlier than expected.
Adding even more drama to the offseason was the hiring process of the coaching staff around him, with the most notable being finding an offensive coordinator. It took 12 interviews to finally find the right person and/or someone who accepted the role, which ended up being Alex Van Pelt.
It was a controversial decision, given his less-than-ideal history at the position. This led to much scrutiny throughout the 2024 season and his eventual dismissal after Mayo was let go last month. But it looks like Van Pelt didn't have any trouble finding a new job, as news broke on Monday afternoon that he will continue his NFL career with a new team in the NFC.
Alex Van Pelt is hired by the Rams after the Patriots move on with Josh McDaniels
After a tumultuous season in New England, Van Pelt was not a name that came up often in conversations about coaching vacancies across the league. It was assumed he would find a position somewhere on a staff in a lesser role than offensive coordinator, but that didn't happen until this week.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams announced that Van Pelt would be joining their staff as a senior offensive assistant for the 2025 season. He will work closely with respected head coach Sean McVay and is likely hoping to have the chance to coach quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Rams have added former Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to their coaching staff: pic.twitter.com/uehTsaksIG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 24, 2025
Considering his long history in the NFL and his former days as a player, this feels like an excellent fit for Van Pelt moving forward. While he was a mostly formidable playcaller in New England who presumably helped develop Drake Maye during his rookie season, it seems fair to say he might be better served in this new role than calling plays for the offense, at least for the foreseeable future.
How this all works out is yet to be seen, but he's certainly in a much better position than he was with the Patriots with the offense the Rams have. That should be a huge plus.