Dante Scarnecchia’s impact for the New England Patriots can’t be put into words.
The legendary coach joined the team in 1982 and spent nearly two decades coaching numerous positions, before taking over the offensive line in 1999 and holding that role for most of the following two decades. Scarnecchia, 72, officially retired at the end of the 2019 season and walked away with five Super Bowl championships.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss caught up with him and talked about life after retirement — while discussing the Patriots’ current coaching situation on the offensive line. The Patriots have Cole Popovich and Carmen Bricillo sharing responsibilities for the 2020 season.
“They’re both really good coaches and both really good people. Very, very smart guys,” Scarnecchia said. “I know no one has been named, and there are reasons for that, but clearly those are the two guys that are going to do it, and I think they’ll do an outstanding job. The other thing is they know the players. It’s not like they’re new, coming in from the outside. They’ve both been around there — especially Cole, who has been in the system for five years. Carm for one.”
The Patriots will have a solid unit together if healthy. David Andrews is returning after missing 2019 with blood clots and Isaiah Wynn showed he’s the real deal while on the field. Popovich and Bricillo both spent time with Scarnecchia, giving them a leg up on the difficult roles they’ll have.
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