Tag: Dante Scarnecchia

Legendary OL coach Dante Scarnecchia going in Patriots Hall of Fame

Here’s a feel-good story for a Thursday with Dante Scarnecchia going into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Much-deserved!

In one of the true feel-good stories on Thursday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced the team was inducting former longtime assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

It’s a much-deserved honor for Scarnecchia, who coached for the Patriots for a span of nearly 40 years. His influence within the organization clearly remains, given fans were actually campaigning for his return to help fix the broken offensive line in 2022.

Not only is Scarnecchia one of the all-time great Patriots coaches, but he’s one of the all-time great offensive line coaches in NFL history, period.

“Dante Scarnecchia is recognized as one of the greatest assistant coaches of all time,” said Kraft in a released statement. “He is the first Patriots assistant coach to receive this honor and I can’t think of a more deserving person. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who made greater on-field contributions over his 34 seasons with us, which propelled us to 10 of our 11 Super Bowl appearances and helped us claim five of our six Super Bowl championships.

“He earned the respect of his fellow coaches and players, many of whom credited Dante for making them the best they could be. I am proud that his legacy will be preserved in our Hall of Fame forever.”

Scarnecchia joins a special list of Patriots greats that have already been enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame. So many players over the years were made better by the work Scarnecchia did on and off the field.

Now, he’ll take his rightful place in history among the other New England legends that paved the way for a brighter future.

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Dante Scarnecchia to get high honor from Pro Football Hall of Fame

Dante Scarnecchia is being immortalized with an award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will be recognized with an Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Scarnecchia started with the Patriots organization in 1982 as the special teams coach and tight ends coach. He left for the Indianapolis Colts in 1989 and stayed there for two seasons. He then returned to New England and served a variety of roles for the organization, most notably as the offensive line coach, over the next 28 years.

The longtime Patriots coach was a part of all six Super Bowl victories and was often thought of as one of the best assistant coaches in the NFL.

The award recognizes assistant coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers and public relations staffers, per Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

Scarnecchia’s impact on the Patriots organization was immeasurable. Now, he will get the chance to be recognized for his vast and impressive career.

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Dante Scarnecchia thinks Patriots should stick with one starting QB

Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia weighs in on the quarterback carousel in New England

Former New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia isn’t a fan of the ongoing musical chairs at the quarterback position between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

When asked to name a starter, coach Bill Belichick has typically gone into full-on robot mode to avoid giving a direct answer. The problem with this situation is the Patriots are sitting dead last in the AFC East division with a losing record and two quarterbacks that both seem to be pretty good.

Jones, who has been working his way back from a high ankle sprain, could use a vote of confidence at this point after getting booed off the field by Patriots fans on Monday night. Zappe-mania might be running wild, but Jones has the edge in experience and a deeper grasp of the offense.

Scarnecchia believes Jones should be the starter, if healthy. It makes sense given his track record from last season, along with the fact that the Bears poured a bucket of ice water on Zappe by forcing him into throwing two interceptions in the game.

Belichick should make a decision, one way or another, according to Scarnecchia.

“I would like to see them say, ‘Hey, this guy is starting.’ And whoever that may be, it is and we’re playing him. And this is how we’re going.'” Scarnecchia said, during an appearance on The Greg Hill Show. “I don’t think this is a tryout time. They’ve got a big game against the [New York] Jets on Sunday. They need to win that game.”

Jones is slated to start again on Sunday against the Jets, but no one knows how long he’ll actually remain the starter. Belichick went into last week’s game against the Bears with an invisible snap split, which was privy to only a few individuals.

This Patriots team as a whole would function much better if he picked a quarterback, publicly announced it and stuck with that player as the starter.

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Dante Scarnecchia didn’t rule out return to struggling Patriots

Scar “deferred” when talking about a return to coaching.

Former New England Patriots offensive line guru Dante Scarnecchia doesn’t plan on throwing on the Superman cape and flying to the training camp practice fields to help his former team.

But he also didn’t rule it out, either.

When speaking with the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian, Scarnecchia was informed that several reporters had pitched the idea of him returning to the team as a consultant to maybe offer a different perspective on things.

Per Guregian, the former coach “deferred” with the notion that it’s too soon to start casting judgement on the team for their early struggles along the offensive front.

“I would say this, in fairness to everyone, I just think this is the wrong time to evaluate it,” said Scarnecchia. “The pads have come on, but they’re not playing real football yet, Whenever they play the Giants, we’ll have a better idea where this thing is. Even at that point, it’s not totally fair to say they can’t (do it).

“I think there’s a (three-game) process at hand, where we’ll have a better idea where this thing is going. … What doesn’t look good in training camp early, has no bearing on anything.”

Scarnecchia makes a great point about allowing the process to play out. The Patriots haven’t even faced an opponent in an actual game or joint practice yet.

It’s probably too soon for all of the doom and gloom talk.

But if the sky really is falling in Foxborough and Scarnecchia is willing to throw on the red cape one more time, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Patriots would say no.

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Dante Scarnecchia gives insight on the impact of Josh McDaniels’ departure

Dante Scarnecchia lays out two specific areas where the Patriots will miss Josh McDaniels the most.

Josh McDaniels carries nearly two decades worth of institutional knowledge with the New England Patriots.

He was Bill Belichick’s right-hand man during the latter part of his tenure in New England and he’s led some of the best offensive groups in NFL history. With Mac Jones entering his second year in the league, the Patriots will need the right pieces in place to smooth out the transition. This is currently starting with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge taking offensive responsibilities.

While joining WEEI’s Ken and Curtis, legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia explained what the Patriots will miss following McDaniels’ departure.

“I think where Josh is always going to be most missed is his ability to adjust the game play during the course of the game. It think he was extraordinary at that,” Scarnecchia said. “Secondly, he’s going to be missed because of his ability to mentor quarterbacks, especially during a game. I’ve already said this ad nauseam so many times: his being with the quarterback on the bench over the course of a game is both soothing and informative to them. Those two areas, plus I really think just the way, we had all of our meetings, and we were able to formulate plans, and come out with a common thing between everybody. It was a very, very pleasant environment.”

The Patriots won’t have an official offensive coordinator, just as they’ve went without a defensive coordinator for a few years. Patricia and Judge will handle play-calling responsibilities without the title.

“Josh didn’t have a title until his third season. He didn’t have a coordinator’s title, he was the quarterbacks coach,” Scarnecchia explained. “Then you go to Billy [O’Brien]. He didn’t have a title until his third season. Then he became a coordinator. He, too, was the quarterback coach. I see more of the same of that with either Joe or Matt or Nick, whoever they give it to, and I think it will be more of the same. They’re good coaches, they’ll work at it, and we have to hope for the best.”

When it comes to Jones, Scarnecchia has nothing but admiration and respect.

“One thing they do have, I think they have a really, really good young quarterback,” he said. “This guy, I think the world of him, and think he’s gonna be a good player.”

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Dante Scarnecchia details what Patriots look for during spring sessions

Here’s what the Patriots’ coaching staff looks for during the team’s spring sessions.

OTAs and mandatory minicamp give the first real scope of what an NFL team will look like in the coming season.

The New England Patriots wrapped up minicamp last week and it’s already given a look into Cam Newton and Mac Jones’ progress. Josh Uche is a player that’s stood out and lesser-known players like Isaiah Zuber also get a chance to shine.

Minicamp doesn’t determine as much as training camp in late July, but it still provides important information. Legendary Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia joined the Ken & Curtis Show this past weekend and explained some of those important aspects of spring sessions.

“I think that when you get the new guys in and you’re in these OTAs and the spring sessions and then ultimately minicamp, I think what you’re really seeing is just a couple of things,” Scarnecchia said, transcribed by WEEI. “One is how well does the guy take coaching? How well he listens. How well he really applies what you’re trying to get taught. And that’s true for techniques and that’s true for the offensive system that you have put in this spring. Does he act appropriately if the linebacker he’s suppose to squeeze on, he squeezes on? Or not. That along with his mental makeup, not his physical toughness, but his mental toughness. Can he take hard coaching? Can he do the things that you want him to get done?

“You’ll never know how well he can do until you get the pads on and get him out there, but if you spend draft choices on guys that we have there, and I will speak from an offensive line standpoint, like [Isaiah] Wynn and David Andrews and Ted Karras and on and on and on, what you thought of them in the evaluation process will be validated as for as intelligence and as far as the mental toughness and how well they take coaching. You’re not going to know for sure until you get the pads on and you see what the guy can do.”

Now that the Patriots have a better idea of what the team looks like, they can focus on training camp and how to narrow in on the 53-man roster.

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Dante Scarnecchia explains in detail why he likes Trent Brown trade for Patriots

“I like Trent. I think he’s got talent, I think he’s got immense talent.”

If anyone understands the offensive line and how pieces fit for the New England Patriots, it’s legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia.

Scarnecchia spent 34 seasons with the organization and he helped shape Trent Brown’s career during the one year the offensive tackle had with the team. Brown, who was recently traded to the Patriots, left after winning the Super Bowl in Foxborough to sign a massive four-year, $66 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Patriots restructured his contract for the 2021 season, giving him $11 million for a one-year deal. Scarnecchia spoke with the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian recently and gave his opinion on the trade.

“I like Trent. I think he’s got talent, I think he’s got immense talent,” Scarnecchia said. “I really enjoyed our time together. It definitely had some growing pains, but it was a very good time.”

Brown, 27, spent his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and was a bit of a project for the Patriots at first.

“I think what happened early on, you could just see in the way he was moving around to start practice where his mindset was, ‘I’m taking this day off,’ ’’ said Scarnecchia. “If allowed to do that, he would do it. But, we just didn’t allow him to do that. We’d tell him, ‘Hey look, this ain’t going to be the way it’s going to happen.’ It may have been said in a different tone, and not as nice as that, but once he got beyond all that, it was an absolute pleasure to be around him, and to coach him, especially the way he played for us.

“The last two-thirds of the year, and in particular in the playoffs, I think he was really exceptional in the playoffs.”

Going forward, Scarnecchia believes he can be trusted — and trust is exactly what the Patriots need for passing and running purposes this season.

“I think he can be a guy that you can run behind. He can make the tough blocks on the back side, and he’s a really good pass-blocker for multiple reasons,” he said.

“He’s so big, and he’s so long. He’s just a big guy to run around, and he’s really a hard guy to rush through. And, I think he loves challenges. The better the players, the more attention he pays. He really gets into it.”

There’s been opinions flowing around the league since the trade, but this is the one that really matters.

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Report: Jets’ latest coaching hire has ties to Spygate

Robert Saleh added a new position to his support staff. hiring former SpyGate figure, Steve Scarnecchia, to be his Chief of Staff

Robert Saleh’s newest coach has ties to Spygate.

The Jets hired Steve Scarnecchia, according to the New York Post’ Brian Costello. He will be work closely with Saleh as his chief of staff.

The son of former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, Steve Scarnecchia was fired by the Broncos in 2010. An NFL investigation uncovered that he had been illegally filming a 49ers walkthrough practice in London. The NFL fined the Broncos and then-head coach Josh McDaniels $50,000 apiece for the incident after it was determined that Scarnecchia filmed six minutes of San Francisco’s walkthrough.

The league considered Scarnecchia a “repeat offender,” as he worked in New England’s video department from 2001-04 and was implicated in the original Spygate scandal. However, Scarnecchia was not banned from the NFL for his role in two separate videotaping scandals.

After being fired in Denver, Scarnecchia served as Syracuse’s Director of Football Operations until he was hired away by the Atlanta Falcons. He most recently was as an assistant to former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn over the past six seasons in Atlanta.

This will be Scarnecchia’s second stint with the Jets. He was with the team from 2006-08, working as the Director of Multimedia and Production.

Will the Patriots get back to their winning ways? Dante Scarnecchia believes so

“Yeah, my hope and all our wishes are our team comes back to a very, very high level.”

If anyone’s gut feeling can be trusted about the New England Patriots’ future, it’s former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

The 72-year-old spent 34 seasons with the team and officially retired after the 2019 season. He was the longest-tenured Patriots coach and he worked magic with the offensive line, no matter the lack of depth or talent. New England could’ve desperately used him this season to keep things together.

The Patriots finished the year with an underwhelming 7-9 record and it could’ve been much worse without Cam Newton at the helm. New England lost players to opt-outs, free agency and positive COVID cases. Newton was nearly running with a practice squad unit and the future for the Patriots now appears to be bleak. Not to mention, the team lost director of personnel, Nick Caserio, who spent 20 years in the organization.

Can they turn it around going forward?

“I think so,” Scarnecchia said, transcribed by WEEI. “You have an owner that’s driven. He has an amazing way about doing things. Does he know what’s going on? Yes, he knows what’s going on. And I think he, if necessary he will ask the questions and wonder about things. That’s my opinion. I don’t know that. I’ve never seen that conversation between those two, but you have strong ownership and you have an organization that really wants to be successful. Will it get back? Yeah, absolutely it will get back. But, obviously, they have to get some things worked out at certain positions and try to develop a good team. So the stars have to come into alignment to a degree in a lot of areas. Yeah, my hope and all our wishes are our team comes back to a very, very high level.”

Scarnecchia has high hopes. If anyone can fulfill those hopes, it’s Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft. Starting with the quarterback position, there will be many decisions and adjustments to make, but they can be done.

While reflecting on the Patriots’ dynasty, Scarnecchia had modest words.

“I never try to say that that was something special, that it will never be achieved again,” Scarnecchia said. “The world of sports and the world in general is rift with people that thought that and all of the sudden it does happen. I think it’s very hard to do because of all the aforementioned reasons. Those being you better know what you’re doing on the salary cap, you better have sustained great health at that one great position, at quarterback.

“We’ve all seen, and I’m not stabbing at anybody here, how hard it was without Tom this year. And really in fairness to Cam [Newton], how hard it is to come in with no preseason, no OTAs, none of that stuff and then have to come out there and try to do your best. It aint’ easy. That’s a hard position to play. The hardest position in all of sports. The hardest thing in all of sports to do is be an NFL quarterback, I think. And they are hard to come by.”

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Dante Scarnecchia leans in Cam Newton’s direction for Patriots’ starting QB role

Dante Scarnecchia elaborates on what makes Cam Newton special, but doesn’t discount Jarrett Stidham’s ability.

A little over a month ago, Jarrett Stidham was the assumed starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2020.

Brian Hoyer was signed for knowledge of the playbook and veteran mentorship for a second-year quarterback who was set to replace arguably the greatest signal-caller to ever play. Tom Brady’s departure left many questions about the team’s future success and Stidham was prepared to prove his worth in the league.

But, Bill Belichick signed Cam Newton in early July and and flipped out MVP quarterbacks. Despite two injuries over the past two seasons, a semi-healthy Newton is clearly the better option over Stidham.

Patriots legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia weighed in on the quarterback battle and gravitated toward Newton earning the role.

“I think he has a huge edge, because of what he’s done in the league,” he said, transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “The guy was an MVP [in 2015]. We played against him a number of times, have a huge respect for him as a player and leader, and the things he’s done. This guy, from a skill set, a lot different from guys we’ve had in there at quarterback over the years. [Jarrett] Stidham has great feet and ability to move and avoid the rush, and create and do a lot of similar things.

“I don’t think he’s to Cam’s skill set, but this guy is a pretty good player. He also has a tremendous work ethic and he’s a smart guy. I know this, you have to be a smart guy to play quarterback in that system. Having said all that, the cupboard is not half empty by any means. I think there is a lot of enthusiasm. The situation looks a lot different than it did two months ago.”

Newton has consistently worked out with his new receiving corps since signing the dotted lines and appears to be ready for his opportunity. The Patriots had eight players opt out for the 2020 season so far — making a much more difficult scenario for the former MVP.

If Scarnecchia believes Newton has a huge edge, that likely means he will be the Week 1 starter this season.

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