FOXBOROUGH (AP) — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has decided not to hire a defensive coordinator and plans to take a larger role overseeing the unit.
Team spokesman Stacey James said on Friday that Belichick announced the decision on the Patriots' Web site for a story to appear in Patriots Football Weekly next week.
Dean Pees resigned as defensive coordinator after the season following four years in the job. The Patriots lost 33-14 to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.
Belichick was defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 1985-90 and for New England in 1996. He called defensive signals for the New York Jets from 1997-99 before becoming coach of the Patriots in 2000.
