One day after officially losing defensive coordinator Matt Patricia – he will join the Detroit Lions as their next head coach –, the New England Patriots have lost their second coordinator: As has been announced by the Indianapolis Colts, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels will become the team's next head coach.
With the exception of a short stint as head coach of the Denver Broncos (2009-2010) and offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams (2011), the 41-year old has spent his entire coaching career in New England. McDaniels has led some of the best offenses in the NFL during his time with the Patriots: His 2007 and 2012 units led the league in scoring, while no other group that had McDaniels as its coordinator finished outside of the top eight.
With McDaniels officially leaving New England, the search for a successor begins. The favorite to take over is wide receiver coach Chad O'Shea, who served as the signal caller in the preseason, and has plenty of experience working within the Patriots' system. Another candidate to watch is assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, although the more experienced O'Shea likely is the team's first choice.