Yesterday, the Patriots announced three coaching staff changes for the 2011 season. The Patriots promoted both offensive assistant Brian Ferentz to tight ends coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach Harold Nash to head strength and conditioning, and hired former University of Central Florida running backs coach George Godsey as an offensive assistant.
Harold Nash, 40, attented the University of Southwestern Louisiana, where he starred as a defensive back before getting a shot in training camp with the New York Giants. Ultimately, Nash went to the Canadian Football League, where he had a productive ten year career. One year after retiring from football, Nash was hired as the Patriots Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach in 2005. After six seasons in that position, Nash will now take over the head spot, with former Strength and Conditioning coach Mike Woicik bolting to Dallas. The promotion is well-deserved for Nash, as he was also the most logical candidate for the vacancy.
New tight ends coach Brian Ferentz has been with the Patriots organization since 2008. He played his college football as a right guard under his father, Kirk Ferentz, at Iowa. After a productive career for the Hawkeyes, Ferentz went undrafted and bounced around between the Falcons and the Saints. Originally hired as a scouting assistant by the Patriots, Ferentz mostly worked with the tight end position last season, despite having the title "offensive assistant coach." This promotion also seemed logical, as the position has been vacant since Shane Waldron was let go following the 2009 season.
The hiring of George Godsey marks the first hiring this season that has come from outside the Patriots organization. Godsey had been with University of Central Florida since 2004. From 2005-2008, Godsey served as the team's quarterbacks coach. The last two seasons, Godsey has been the running backs coach. Godsey played his college football as a quarterback at Georgia Tech. He has been given the title of "offensive assistant coach."