Image courtesy of David J. Phillip (A/P)
After serving as a sounding board and mentor to some guys in Chestnut Hill for a season, Doug Marrone is going to be like, 40 minutes away.
He won’t even have to move.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach is reportedly joining Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Patriots according to multiple outlets. It’s unclear if he’s the offensive line coach – his expertise – or more of a sounding board, as Vrabel also added Jason Houghtaling, who was on Vrabel’s staff as an O-line coach in Tennessee from 2021-2023.
During his time at BC, he was never officially on staff, but could be seen walking around practice inside or outside Fish Field House, observing or chatting with Coach O’Brien, a lineman, tight end or another assistant at any time on the sidelines. He was never on the field or actively coaching (they’re not dumb over there, they know the NCAA is nuts), but his presence in a room is undeniable. If he is in fact the team’s O-line coach, just from his size, demeanor and tone, respect will be commanded in that room. If he’s just a sounding board of sorts for Vrabel as a trusted confidant that’s seen a lot of football in his life, it’s hard to not like that move either.
Marrone bounced around the NFL practice squad circuit for six seasons (1986-1991) playing in five games before playing two seasons for the London Monarchs (’91-’92). His coaching career began in 1992 at Cortland State as the tight ends coach. He was the O-line coach for Coast Guard the next season and Northwestern in 1994. After serving as Georgia Tech’s tight ends coach in 1996, he was the Yellow Jackets’ O-line coach from ’97-1999.
Marrone was Georgia’s O-line coach in 2000 and specifically an ‘offensive tackles’ and tight ends coach for Tennessee in 2001. He finally jumped to the NFL as the Jets O-line coach from 2002-2005. Marrone called plays for the Saints as OC and served as the O-line coach from 2006-2009, just a year before the Saints won the Super Bowl.
Marrone went back to college from 2009-2012 to serve as the head coach for his alma mater Syracuse. The Bronx kid kept it somewhat local from 2013-2014 as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach before becoming the Jaguars assistant head coach and O-line coach from 2015-2016. IN ’16, he became the interim head coach during a tumultuous year and then officially had the role for the next three seasons, coming oh-so-close to a Super Bowl berth in 2017, but an overturned fumble recovery return and the greatness of Tom Brady along with a Danny Amendola toe-tap sent the Jags home.
Marrone was Alabama’s O-line coach in 2021 and the Saints for two years before hanging out at BC this past year.
Marrone and Bill O’Brien have known each other for a long, long time, so it feels like Marrone used the opportunity to recharge, stay around the game and now, is ready to jump back into the shark tank that is the NFL.
It’s a good move from Vrabel, who is clearly putting an emphasis on surrounding himself with experience and good football minds.