Patriots appoint Pees

By David Wedge  |   Thursday, January 19, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
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On Tuesday, Don Pees was named the New England Patriots new defensive coordinator following the departure of Eric Mangini as head coach to the New York Jets.

Pees becomes the Patriots third defensive coordinator in three years, succeeding Mangini and previously Romeo Crennel who left to coach the Cleveland Browns.

The 56 year-old Pees is entering his 34th year coaching and has been the Patriots linebacker coach for past two seasons. Before arriving in New England, Pees served as head coach at Kent State for six years and in 2001 led the team to a 6-5 record, the school's first winning season in 14 years.

The Patriots decision to recruit in-house reflects Bill Belichick's need for a coordinator with understanding of the team's current defensive systems. Pees' first task in post will be to get an injury-hit defense back to full fitness.

Mangini replaces Herm Edwards in New York and is now the youngest head coach in the NFL, signing a five-year contract worth just over $2 million per season. Herm Edwards recently left the Jets to become a head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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