The Patriots have filled their three coordinator posts under new head coach Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel is hiring Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams to be the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, ESPN first reported Wednesday. Vrabel had already elected to keep incumbent special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and hired offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Tuesday.

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Williams, 50, spent six seasons on the Titans’ staff while Vrabel was head coach. He was the Titans’ defensive line coach from 2018 to 2022 before adding assistant head coach to his duties in 2023. He was hired as the Lions’ defensive line coach/run game coordinator this season.

Williams replaces Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, under whom the unit struggled in 2024 with Jerod Mayo as head coach. Covington was also a defensive line coach before being elevated to defensive coordinator, though he came with far less experience.

The Lions ranked fifth in rushing yards allowed and 22nd in yards per carry allowed in 2024. Overall, their defense was seventh in points allowed and 20th in total defense. Their run defense was 12th in EPA per play allowed and fourth in rushing success rate allowed.

Wiliams played defensive tackle at East Carolina before going into coaching his position at Fort Scott Community College in 1998. He was a defensive line coach at North Carolina A&T, Youngstown State, Akron, Purdue and Texas A&M before heading to the NFL in 2012 as the Raiders’ defensive line coach. He also coached with the Dolphins from 2015 to 2017 before joining Vrabel on the Titans.

Vrabel added another familiar face to his staff in ex-Jets running backs coach Tony Dews, as first reported by The Athletic. Dews worked under Vrabel on the Titans as running backs coach from 2018 to 2022 before moving over to tight ends in 2023. It’s unclear which role he’ll serve in New England.

The Patriots have also hired John Streicher, who served as a director of football administration with the Titans under Vrabel. Last season, he was a game management coordinator with the Rams.