Patriots reportedly promote Zak Kuhr to defensive coordinator following run to Super Bowl while he was interim
- - Patriots reportedly promote Zak Kuhr to defensive coordinator following run to Super Bowl while he was interim
Jason OwensFebruary 18, 2026 at 5:47 AM
0
Zak Kuhr is interim no more.
The New England Patriots have promoted Kuhr to be their full-time defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
Kuhr joined the Patriots in 2025 as inside linebackers coach after previously working under head coach Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans. He was quickly thrust into the role of interim defensive coordinator when defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September.
Zak Khur is officially New England's defensive coordinator, (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The result under Kuhr was a defense that ranked eighth in the regular season in yards allowed and fourth in points allowed as New England secured the AFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. New England's defense dominated in playoff wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos before meeting its match in its Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
But it was an outstanding run for New England's defense in Kuhr's first year leading the unit. And now the job is his. Defensive assistant Vinny DePalma will reportedly take over as inside linebackers coach.
As for Williams, he's since been declared cancer free and was able to join the Patriots on their trip to the Bay Area for the Super Bowl. Per NFL Network, he's moving into a high-ranking role on Vrabel's staff.
Source: “AOL Sports”
