Legendary OL Coach Dante Scarnecchia Retires and Patriots Actually Might Be in Trouble
By Brendan Balsamo
A nearly fifty year career reportedly came to a close on Tuesday, as legendary New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia retired from coaching football.
Scarnecchia has coached since 1970, and has been exclusively with the Patriots since 1991, along with a temporary two-year retirement in the middle.
Report: Patriots Offensive Line Coach Dante Scarnecchia Retires https://t.co/cmUHKzxogs
— WBZ Boston Sports (@wbzsports) January 28, 2020
The reason Tom Brady has been allowed to flourish in the Patriots' system is not just because of Bill Belichick's incredible football mind, but because of Scarnecchia's incredible coaching talent to have the guys in front of TB12 perform at the highest level.
Scarnecchia has been with the Patriots longer than just about anybody in the organization, including Belichick. He's spent all but four seasons with the team since 1982
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 28, 2020
He spent two years with the Colts from 1989-90, and retired for two years in 2014-15 before returning https://t.co/ZCZqP6xtZf
Scarnecchia's first stint with the Patriots began in 1982, and after two years in Indianapolis in 1989-90, he spent the rest of his career in Foxborough. He retired after the 2013 season, but returned in 2016 to win his fifth ring with the franchise.
His retirement puts Belichick and the Patriots in a very tough spot. After losing in the Wild Card game for the first time since 2009, not only is Scarnecchia departing, but Brady might be as well.
With Dante Scarnecchia retiring and the uncertainty of Joe Thuney coming back with a likely huge payday, getting David Andrews back is so important for the stability of that unit. Anchor of that line that can help with potential new faces/a lot of moving pieces. #Patriots
— Ryan Spagnoli (@Ryan_Spags) January 28, 2020
After terrorizing the league for almost two decades, the Patriots now might be headed in the opposite direction. Scarnecchia's departure after nearly forty years with the team is symbolic of that.