UMass Dartmouth Grad Lands Patriots Coaching Job

As the New England Patriots continue to assemble their new staff under head coach Jerod Mayo, a familiar name from Ring Road has popped up as a new addition.

Brian McDonough, who spent time at UMass Dartmouth as a member of the football team while earning his master's degree, has been named to the New England Patriots strength and conditioning coaching staff. His job will be to make sure each member of the team is in tip-top shape come the fall.

McDonough earned his UMass Dartmouth master's degree in applied exercise science with a concentration in strength and conditioning. While the degree is certainly nice, it was likely McDonough's hands-on experience with hundreds of NFL players that helped him land the job. His gym, Edge Performance Systems, is located a stone's throw from Gillette Stadium. The proximity of the facility has put McDonough in a position to help injured and recovering players on the Patriots.

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One of the biggest names McDonough helped get back onto the field was Julian Edelman. According to the Attleboro Sun Chronicle, while Edelman was on a four-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation, he was not allowed to work out with the team. However, Edelman was in the middle of his recovery from a torn ACL. Jules turned to McDonough for help. He told the Sun Chronicle, "He was the guy that was kind of keeping me in my routine. Kind of my coach figure when I was trying to keep my routine as close to what I can.”

McDonough was a good match with the quick-footed slot receiver because after the Patriots beat the Rams in Super Bowl LIII, it was No. 11 who walked away as the game's MVP. That game was the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history, and Edelman became only the second New England Patriot not named Brady to win the honor (the other was Deion Branch).

McDonough joins New England on a full-time basis in 2024 after working with the team as a consultant for over 20 years.