Patriots Name Alex Van Pelt OC Under Jerod Mayo After Browns Tenure

The New England Patriots have hired former Cleveland Browns staffer Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator.

He will join the staff of new head coach Jerod Mayo.

Van Pelt served as the Browns' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past four seasons.

He was fired alongside two other assistants after the Browns' Jan. 13 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans.

Prior to his time in Cleveland, Van Pelt worked with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills.

He played parts of nine seasons as quarterback for the Bills between 1995 and 2003.

Van Pelt's previous experience as a quarterbacks coach could have been a draw for Mayo, who has hinted that the Patriots may choose to select a quarterback with the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft.

As someone who has served on NFL coaching staffs since 2006, Van Pelt could also serve as a resource for 37-year-old Mayo, who prior to the Seattle Seahawks' hiring of Sean McVay was the youngest head coach in the NFL.

The news comes the same day that Van Pelt visited Gillette Stadium for an interview, according to MassLive's Mark Daniels.

Van Pelt had not previously been reported among the 11 other candidates the Patriots were considering for the position.

At the top of this list were Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley and former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who also reportedly completed in-person interviews with the Patriots.

Van Pelt meanwhile interviewed with other teams including the Las Vegas Raiders and the Buccaneers.

During Van Pelt's final campaign in Cleveland, Browns finished the regular season with an 11-5 record despite rotating through five different quarterbacks following Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury.

The Browns "discussed a reassignment of roles on the coaching staff" with Van Pelt following the team's early postseason exit, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter.

He ultimately left, however, and will now join special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington as the newest additions and promotions to Mayo's staff.