DeMarcus Covington joined the New England coaching staff in 2017.
The New England Patriots hadn’t utilized the title of defensive coordinator since 2017.
When the organization’s next coach arrived in Foxborough, he was an assistant. DeMarcus Covington worked as an outside linebackers coach until being elevated to defensive line coach in January.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do in this career,” Covington told Patriots.com in an exclusive interview published on Thursday. “To become a defensive coordinator and be able to lead a defense, I would say it’s truly a blessing.”
Covington, 34, was an internal candidate among a group of outside candidates that included Tem Lukabu, Christian Parker, Michael Hodges, and Gerald Alexander. The Super Bowl LIII winner has spent the last four seasons in charge of New England’s defensive line.
His efforts there helped lead to two NFL defensive coordinator interviews in 2023.
“I always look at what can I do and not try to be somebody else,” Covington was quoted as saying. “I look at how I get the players to play, how you’re able to become a teacher in the classroom and get those players to take it from the classroom to the grass.”
Covington, a former Samford wide receiver, went on to coach at UAB, Ole Miss, UT Martin, and Eastern Illinois before leaving college football. Last offseason, he was the American team’s defensive coordinator at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and received his second invitation to the NFL’s Coach Accelerator.
However, this offseason, Covington became the first of three coordinators hired by the Patriots under new head coach Jerod Mayo, with whom he has shared the sideline since 2019.
“When you talk about this culture, it’s all about buy-in and getting your players to perform at their best. “And I believe it starts with the staff,” Covington said. “Jerod and I have been working together for the last five years, which has been fantastic. We see the same things, and we can push each other. So, I always say that iron sharpens iron. He sharpens me. “I can sharpen him.”
By the end of a 4-13 season, the Patriots placed tenth in the NFL in defensive DVOA. On the ground, opponents were allowed 3.3 yards per rushing attempt, which was the lowest in the league.
“Playing aggressive, playing physical, being disciplined, playing at a high level, trying to seek to take the ball away,” Covington went on to say. “And at the end of the day, like, the players win the game.”
Following Covington’s promotion, New England hired ex-Green Bay Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery in the same role.
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