FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots have a group of coaches who don’t have much, if any, experience at their respective jobs.
Jerod Mayo is a first-year head coach. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is a newbie play caller. DeMarcus Covington is a first-time defensive coordinator.
Dont’a Hightower?
He’s a great former Patriot who never coached a lick.
Some of the best athletes can’t make the transition. They can’t teach what they know. But Mayo, who successfully made the conversion from player to linebacker coach, believed Hightower could do the same.
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So he brought in the three-time Super Bowl winner, along with 15-year coaching veteran Drew Wilkins, to coach the linebackers. Thus far, the reviews have been good on Hightower.
Christian Elliss, who has taken on a bigger role with Ja’Whaun Bentley on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle, can’t say enough about what he’s learned from the former linebacker, who many call “High.”
“High sees the game different than any other LB coach I’ve ever had,” Elliss said Thursday. “He brings a new perspective, especially being a multi-Super Bowl champion, a multi-Pro Bowler, all the things he accomplished in his career, and bringing that knowledge to us in the meeting room and on the field. It’s been amazing.”
Elliss had spent three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before being claimed off waivers by the Patriots in 2023. He said this doesn’t seem like Hightower’s first rodeo in the coaching realm.
“Just the way he talks about the game, the way he talks about how you see the game, you wouldn’t be able to tell (he’s a rookie),” Elliss said. “For me, every year, I get a little bit better at linebacker … High has really accelerated that process for me just from his trust in me.”
It hasn’t been perfect for Elliss, but he’s improved each week, and still made plays, none bigger than his fourth-quarter sack of Aaron Rodgers in last week’s 25-22 win over the New York Jets.
Hightower, meanwhile, has enjoyed the transition. Unlike the group he’s coaching, the former Patriot has never endured a stretch of six straight losses as a player. Of his 10 seasons as a player, Hightower only had two seasons with more than six losses. Eight of his seasons featured 11 or more wins, and that’s not counting the post-season.
Hightower also never played for a defense that surrendered nearly 200 ground yards per game during a three-game stretch. The holes were plugged better last week against the Jets, but it remains a problem area the coaches are endeavoring to fix.
“We did a better job last week, but still, we’re not where we want to be, we’re not satisfied,” Hightower said during his availability Thursday. “That’s not just from a coaching perspective. The players have that same perspective, as well.”
Hightower is a stickler for fundamentals when it comes to getting off blocks, getting through blocks, identifying blocks, and getting all 11 guys to the ball carrier.
While losing remains tough, Hightower said he’s enjoyed imparting his wisdom, and cracking down on those fundamentals with the players.
“It’s been great. First year, I just want to continue to improve, give my guys whatever they need,” he said. “Whether it’s cut-ups, write-ups, extra film time, whatever it is. At the same time, I’m earning and understanding what it means to be a coach. There’s a lot of small things I’m able to pick up, whether it’s from Mayo, DC … everybody on the defensive staff. And not just those guys. Ben McAdoo, AVP and a lot of guys have a lot of experience in the league.
“When I came into the league, I was a sponge to Mayo and Dev, (Devin McCourty) and Slate (Matthew Slater) and Vince (Wilfork). Now, I got a different form of sponge. But still, wanting to learn to gain that extra knowledge.”
Hightower said he didn’t enter the coaching fray with any expectations one way or the other. He just wanted to tackle his new job head on.
“Hopefully, I’m doing a decent enough job,” he said. “As long as my guys continue to go out, play hard, get better, improve each day, each week, that’s really my mindset, my focus, and that’s what I look for as far as success goes.”
He loves the strides Elliss has made, although he doesn’t want to take credit for it. He lauded the player for taking on more responsibility to help make up for Bentley’s loss.
“Since Day 1 since I’ve gotten here, Elliss has been one of the guys who always has been wanting to know exactly where to be, the corrections … he’s done a good job as far as being able digest a lot of stuff that’s been thrown at his plate,” Hightower said. “He’s doing everything right. He’s getting to the ball, he’s getting off blocks, he’s good in coverage. In the linebacker room, he fits that mold as far as being fast, being physical, being aggressive and being smart.”
Hightower praised the whole linebacker group with Ellis, Jahlani Tavai, Joe Giles-Harris, Raekwan McMillan and Curtis Jacobs.
“They take coaching well. You don’t have to yell or do all that extra stuff,” Hightower said with a smile. “They’re very attentive and they want to get better. So you gotta room like that, that wants to get better and is coachable, that makes it really easy.”
For a long-time coach, or a rookie.
