With Bill O'Brien leaving the Patriots to become the next head coach at Penn State, Bill Belichick was put into the position of having to find a new offensive coordinator.
With Josh McDaniels struggling as both a head coach with the Broncos and as the offensive coordinator with the Rams, he needed to find a job where he could find the success he had back when he was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Patriots.
Well, it looks like McDaniels will fill the void left behind in New England by O'Brien's departure.
The Patriots are expected to hire McDaniels immediately as an offensive assistant coach with the belief that he will become the offensive coordinator when the playoffs end and O'Brien moves on to Happy Valley.
This is an excellent move by Belichick because it will continue the run of success the Patriots offense has enjoyed since 2007. O'Brien, who worked under McDaniels as an offensive assistant, has basically run the same system that McDaniels did. Having McDaniels on board will give the Patriots another experienced coach as they prepare for the AFC playoffs and it will be one less thing Belichick has to worry about this offseason and next season which should allow him to focus more on the defense.
Bringing back McDaniels could also be the solution to the question that no one in Patriot Nation wants to answer: Who will one day succeed the "Hooded One" as the head coach? Belichick will turn 60 after the season and although there is no reason why he can't continue to be a successful coach for several more years, the reality is that he will not coach forever.
Having McDaniels back in the fold gives the Patriots a successful and experienced assistant who knows what it takes to win in New England who has also had experience as a head coach. It would not be surprising to see McDaniels assume the title of offensive coordinator and assistant head coach once the season ends. I'm sure that after his negative experiences in Denver and St. Louis that McDaniels will be patient enough to wait for Belichick to call it quits while he also gets himself back into the mix with a winning team. Imagine McDaniels luck in leaving the 2-14 Rams for the 13-3 Patriots, a team with a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl.
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