While Greg Schiano’s tenure as the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator lasted only a month, it did have some impact on the team’s 2019 season: before Schiano’s abrupt resignation in late March, the team brought his long-time assistant Bob Fraser on board. Fraser remained with the organization even after the man responsible for hiring him jumped ship, and eventually settled into a role as a coaching assistant.
His stint in New England, however, has now come to an end after only one season: as was announced by the school on Wednesday, Fraser has decided to join Rutgers as its new linebackers coach — reuniting him with Schiano, who was hired as the Scarlet Knights’ head coach in December. The 56-year-old, whose coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Rutgers in 1987, is filling a role that he had already previously held twice.
During the first of those stints, Fraser worked under Schiano and later followed him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he coached the linebackers (2012) and served as assistant defensive coordinator (2013). Following Schiano’s firing, Fraser returned to Rutgers before reuniting with his former boss at Ohio State between 2016 and 2018. He then shortly joined him in New England before now returning to the Scarlet Knights.
From the Patriots’ perspective, the departure likely will not have that big of an impact. While Fraser brought considerable experience to the table, his role will likely be taken over by someone younger — either a new addition to the staff or 2019 coaching assistants Brian Belichick and Carmen Bricillo.