Dante Scarnecchia Reportedly Hired as Patriots O-Line Coach: Details, Reaction

The New England Patriots parted ways with offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo following a two-season stint, and a familiar face is reportedly on his way back to coach up the men tasked with protecting quarterback Tom Brady. 

According to ESPN's Adam Caplan, the Patriots are set to re-hire Dante Scarnecchia to the position he held for 15 seasons before retiring following the 2013 campaign. On Feb. 8, the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe reported Scarnecchia contacted the Patriots about re-joining the club. 

At the time of Scarnecchia's retirement, head coach Bill Belichick went out of his way to praise the 68-year-old's work ethic, according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss: 

"

In an industry of constant change, Dante remained a fixture here for the simple reason that he helped every player reach his highest potential, regardless of who he was, how he was acquired, or how much raw talent he had. In whatever category a coach can be assessed -- evaluator, teacher, motivator, problem-solver, disciplinarian, team player, winner -- Dante is as good as it gets.

"

Although the Patriots won the Super Bowl during DeGuglielmo's first year as offensive line coach, the AFC East champions took a step back from run-and-pass-blocking perspectives during the 2015 season. 

Season	Sacks Allowed	QB Hits	Rush Average
2013	40	81	4.4
2014	26	82	3.9
2015	38	97	3.7

DeGuglielmo's unit was plagued by injuries throughout the 2015 season, and a year defined by shaky protection was capped off by a miserable performance in an AFC Championship Game loss to the Denver Broncos. 

According to NFL.com's Dan Hanzus, Denver's pass-rushers recorded 20 quarterback hits and four sacks in the 20-18 win that preceded a Super Bowl 50 triumph over the Carolina Panthers. 

Now the focus for the Patriots will be on molding some of the team's younger prospects into quality starters who can help buy Brady some time and open up running lanes for Belichick's committee of backs. 

"Guards Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason (who were scouted by Scarnecchia as a consultant prior to the 2015 draft) were up-and-down as rookies, but both showed signs of potential," Bleacher Report's Erik Frenz wrote. "Scarnecchia's return as offensive line coach is their best bet to hit their ceiling, however high it may be."

With a familiar face back in the fold, the Patriots' brain trust has to be thrilled with the prospect of a return to stability along the offensive line.

Just don't ask the rest of the teams vying for AFC superiority how they feel about the move.