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On the defensive

With Eric Mangini named the Jets’ new head coach, here is a look at the remaining three members of the Patriots’ defensive coaching staff:

Joel Collier –- assistant secondary coach
Collier, 42, just concluded his first season on Bill Belichick’s staff. He has 15 years of NFL experience, split between offense and defense. An unlikely candidate to succeed Mangini.

Pepper Johnson –- defensive line coach
The 41-year-old Johnson just concluded his sixth season as an NFL coach, all with the Patriots and Bill Belichick. He was the assistant linebackers coach (2000) and inside linebackers coach (2001-2003) before moving to the d-line (2004-2005). Players describe the 13-year NFL linebacker as a fiery type. Would seemingly warrant some consideration for the coordinator position.

Dean Pees –- linebackers coach
Pees, 56, concluded his second season under the Patriots and Bill Belichick. A longtime college coach whose connection to Belichick was made through Nick Saban, Pees has worked with the team’s linebackers the last two years. He was sought after by Saban last year to be the Dolphins’ coordinator but was under contract to the Patriots. Would seemingly warrant some consideration for the coordinator position.

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Meanwhile, former Dolphins and Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates also has ties to Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Bates was an assistant under Belichick with the Browns for four years and is currently seeking a new job. Bates has traditionally run a 4-3 defense, which is different than the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme, but he could adjust based on his familiarity with Belichick.

After the Patriots played the Dolphins last year, when Bates was interim coach, Bates said: “I had a great visit with Bill and have the utmost respect for Bill. Coached all three positions for Bill when I was in Cleveland and we are good friends. And he is an outstanding, outstanding coach.”

Earlier that week, Belichick said of Bates: “Jim has a lot of experience in coaching. He's coached defense at a lot of different levels -- professionally, collegiately and high school. I didn't know him before I hired him in Cleveland, but he's an impressive guy to talk to, to work with. After he went to Atlanta in '94, I re-hired him back in '95 in Cleveland. He's a good coach who has done a good job. His record speaks for itself."

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The likelihood is that the Patriots won’t wait long to fill their defensive coordinator post.

--Mike