With Terrell Williams taking on a different role on the coaching staff in 2026, the New England Patriots are in need of a new defensive coordinator. It didn’t take them long to find him: Zak Kuhr, who was the inside linebackers coach last season, was promoted to the DC role. Vinny DePalma was subsequently promoted from coaching assistant to Kuhl’s previous position.
Let’s take a look at both moves as a whole and what they mean for the Patriots and their staff.
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no surprise
Even before the news broke that Williams would no longer be defensive coordinator, Kuhl was considered a strong candidate to eventually replace him in the position. It’s no surprise that the move is now official.
While there were some other seemingly strong candidates on the market, he was always the logical choice. After all, Kuhl effectively took over Williams’ duties for much of 2025. He initially served as a ground backup while the nominal DC was forced to work remotely due to a “health scare” in the offseason, and later took over as defensive play caller after Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Under his leadership, the Patriots played the best defense in the NFL and advanced to the Super Bowl. Kuhl’s promotion to the latter, especially given the current circumstances, always felt like a natural next step.
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lock up
The Patriots promoting Kuehl has the neat side effect of effectively tying him to the organization for the foreseeable future. Considering that lateral moves rarely happen in the NFL — and teams have the power to prevent them — that means there are only two ways for Kuhl to leave Mike Vrabel’s staff: He can either be fired or be hired by another team at the pro or college level to serve as the next head coach.
The 37-year-old has quickly emerged as one of the hottest names in the coaching world, and if he remains a position coach, he could be in high demand as a coordinator next offseason. Now, with essentially just 31 jobs left in the NFL, this is another step forward for Kuhl.
satisfied with rooney rule
The NFL’s Rooney Rule states that teams must interview at least two outside minority or female candidates for coordinator vacancies, either in person or virtually. The Patriots’ promotion of Kuhl to Washington, D.C., reportedly suggests those demands have been met.
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It’s unclear who the team interviewed to satisfy the rule. However, if it comes down to it, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the coaches brought in end up joining the team in different roles. In this regard, the facilitator interview has more than one purpose.
Stablize
As mentioned, Kuehl isn’t the only coach to receive a promotion from the Patriots. Vinny DePalma will take over from Kuhr as inside linebackers coach, another move expected in the fallout from Terrell Williams’ changing role.
Elevating De Palma’s level also makes sense for the team. The former Boston College linebacker, who will join the Patriots in 2024 under head coach Mike Vrabel, has worked extensively with the position group since arriving in Foxborough. While officially listed as a defensive assistant throughout, Kuhl returned to a more prominent role when he took over play-calling in 2025. Therefore, his promotion is another promotion focused on stability in this particular area.
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Obviously, stability is also the most important thing when it comes to Kuhl’s promotion. For example, if the Patriots hired an outsider, there would be some degree of change, whether in terms of plans, rhetoric or leadership style.
Kuhl, meanwhile, is a known commodity — someone who can prove his ability as a coach and coordinator in challenging circumstances in 2025.
