The New England Patriots were active on Super Sunday, reportedly hiring two assistant coaches before the start of Super Bowl LVIII.
According to the NFL Network, Drew Wilkins, the former outside linebackers coach for the Ravens and Giants, has been brought on board by the Patriots to fill the same role. Wilkins, who spent the last two seasons in New York, was recently let go alongside former Giants and Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. He previously worked in Baltimore for twelve seasons, including two as an outside linebackers coach, before joining Martindale in New York in 2022.
Wilkins will be reuniting with four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matt Judon in New England, having coached Judon to his first two Pro Bowls in Baltimore. His journey with the Ravens began as a video operations intern and eventually led to him working primarily with defensive linemen and linebackers.
In addition to Wilkins, the Patriots have hired Tiquan Underwood as their new assistant wide receivers coach, as reported by multiple sources. Underwood, who was a teammate of the new head coach Jerod Mayo during the Patriots’ 2011 season, gained attention during that time for his distinctive high-top fade haircut and his unexpected release the night before Super Bowl XLVI.
Following his playing career, Underwood transitioned to coaching, working with college receivers at Pitt and Rutgers over the past four seasons. He notably helped develop Jared Wayne into a leading receiver at Pitt, retaining his position as the only offensive assistant during the recent coaching changes at the university.
While it’s uncertain who will assume the lead receivers coach role for the Patriots next season, it’s noted that Troy Brown has held that position for the past three years. The team lost another wide receivers coach, Ross Douglas, midseason, and did not immediately replace him. However, it appears that Underwood has now filled that void.
Underwood will join the Patriots’ offensive coaching staff, which includes offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, offensive line coach Scott Peters, assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler, and senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo.
