The Patriots’ special teams will be led by Jerod Mayo’s “rising” assistant (source).

Jeremy Springer of the Los Angeles Rams NFL football club is shown in this 2022 picture.

The roster of the Los Angeles Rams that was active on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, is reflected in this picture. (Image courtesy of AP)

The coaching staff of Jerod Mayo is assembling, and in 2024, the Patriots special teams unit will have new management.

The Patriots are bringing on Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer to serve as their special teams coordinator, according to a source. After he supposedly elevated defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to the post of defensive coordinator, this is Mayo’s second major acquisition.

After serving as the Rams’ assistant special teams coach for the previous two seasons, Springer moves to New England. Before joining the NFL, he spent eight seasons working at the university level. Cam Achord, the Patriots’ special teams coordinator under Bill Belichick since 2020, is replaced by Springer.

According to reports, Mayo conducted interviews with three coaches before choosing Springer to head the Patriots’ special teams unit. After interviewing with the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network called him a “rising young coach.”

Falcons special teams coach Marquice Williams was reportedly given a position by the team, but he chose to remain in Atlanta under new head coach Raheem Morris. Thomas McGaughey, the former special teams coach of the New York Giants, was also interviewed by Mayo.

Williams is said to have rejected the Patriots, so Mayo invited Springer back for another interview. According to reports, he was the only special teams coach to be interviewed in person. It was supposed to happen on Sunday and Monday.

Springer attended the University of Texas in El Paso to play collegiate football. He played special teams and linebacker. He started his coaching career at Texas A&M one year after graduation, serving as a quality control coach for tight ends and special teams from 2015 to 2017.

Under head coach Kevin Sumlin, Springer joined the University of Arizona in 2018 as the special teams coordinator. He moved to Marshall in 2021 and took a position as their special teams coordinator. After that, he quit his job as a college student to work with Sean McVay’s team in Los Angeles.

Matt Gay was among the NFL’s top kickers in his rookie campaign with the Rams. At 93.3%, he had the fourth-best field goal percentage in the league. Riley Dixon, a punter for the Rams, averaged 48.4 yards per punt during that season, which is second best in team history.

Last season, the Rams’ special teams squad had trouble. With two kickers (Lucas Havrisik and Brett Maher), Los Angeles struggled with field goal accuracy; they made 74.4% of their attempts, ranking them 30th in the NFL. Similar problems beset the Patriots, who finished bottom at 64% with rookie kicker Chad Ryland.

In terms of special teams, Rick Gosselin’s rankings have the Rams at the bottom of the NFL. The Patriots were rated 13th at the end of the season.

Now that Mayo has hired a defensive coordinator (Covington) and a special teams coach (Springer), all eyes are on the open offensive coordinator position on the squad.