With Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams currently away from the team as he continues to deal with a health scare, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr has taken on the role of acting defensive coordinator during the OTAs.

It’s worth mentioning that although Williams is away from the team, he still has a strong imprint along the defense and his voice is still heard through the Zoom meetings that he’s still conducting with the team from afar at his house in Detroit.

Kuhr began his NFL career in 2020 as a quality control assistant for the Tennessee Titans before being promoted to assistant linebackers coach from 2021-2023. He spent the last season as a defensive assistant with Brian Daboll for the New York Giants.

Kuhr, however, has a prior connection to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel before they were both coaches in the NFL. In 2011, Vrabel was the linebackers coach for Ohio State, which was the same year that Kuhr was a graduate assistant working with the running backs and special teams.

When New England’s defensive coaches spoke to the media for the first time in April, Kuhr explained his connection to Vrabel and what he means to him for giving him his first opportunity in the NFL.

“Very grateful, for Vrabes. He gave me my first opportunity in the NFL. We were actually, my first year together with him, I was a student assistant and it was my first year coaching at Ohio State. And very grateful that he remembered me years later when he hired me in Tennessee and I was willing to take any position. … very grateful for Vrabes giving me that first opportunity.”

When it comes to the job in New England, it was a no-brainer for Kuhr to accept and join a staff that he has tremendous familiarity with.

“That’s the big thing, was like, Vrabes and Terrell… love them. They do stuff the right way. It was an opportunity for my career as well, get back to running my own room again, like back what I used to do in college. But just know like, the way Vrabes does stuff, at least in my opinion, it’s the right way.”

How is the Patriots’ Defense Looking Without its Defensive Coordinator During OTAs?

The Patriots added top linebacker Robert Spillane as a free agent to run the defense. He’ll likely have the Green Dot, calling in the plays and making sure that the defense is set up properly. I think he’ll even be named a team captain in his first season with New England and is someone that Kuhr referred to as a coach on the field.

When Williams returns, Kuhr will continue coaching the linebackers. This is a new and improved group from last season with an upgraded aggression and versatile style of play.

It’s worth mentioning that this is the first defensive assignment for Kuhr in his career, having only been on offense with running backs and also with special teams.

Although this is his first time coaching on defense, Kuhr has a firm grasp on the concepts and the style just from having experience of being on the same coaching staffs with Vrabel and knowing what he expects from the position. He recently said that he’s “an extension of ‘T’ and Vrabes and echoing that message.”

“I’ve been a coordinator before. I know it was at the college level but I’ve been in front of a unit before and run meetings. I wouldn’t say it’s anything too new … it’s helped to have a guy like Vinny DePalma in there; he has taken a lot of lifting off my shoulders. He’s going to be a great coach.”

One last note on Kuhr. All throughout his career, he’s worked with John Streicher, the vice president of football operations and strategy for the Patriots who’s been tagged as Vrabel’s “right hand man” since they were in Tennessee together. The trio of Vrabel, Kuhr, and Streicher all go back to their Ohio State days, as they were all part of the football program in some capacity from 2011-2013.

While Vrabel was coaching the linebackers and defensive line, Streicher spent six years on staff as the equipment manager for four years and then as a student assistant with the defensive staff for the final two years.

In 2015, Streicher became the director of football operations and player personnel at James Madison University where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the football program from roster, recruiting, and scholarships. While along the way, he hired Kuhr to be the running backs coach and then was co-offensive coordinator in the next year.

It really is a full circle moment for Vrabel and his hand selected coaching staff. Kuhr is going to be a  great coach working with the linebackers. There is currently no plan set in place for an interim defensive coordinator if Williams is unable to return to the team with minicamp is around the corner.