Floyd Reese. Getty Images.
At last, a hiring.
With several coaches and front office personnel having left New England throughout January, the Patriots made news in the final week of the month by adding to their staff.
Floyd Reese, the former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans general manager, has been hired to fill the role of senior football advisor. With more than three decades of NFL experience as both a coach and a front office executive, Reese will be involved with various football-related assignments, including player contracts.
He'll work alongside director of player personnel Nick Caserioto help fill a void left by Scott Pioli, New England's former vice president of player personnel, who recently accepted an offer to be the Kansas City Chiefs GM.
Reese, who since 2007 has been a television analyst, told reporters during a late afternoon conference call that he was looking to return to the NFL and that New England presented a unique opportunity.
"The opportunities, most of the time, are in areas or with teams that are broken, unable to win, don't have quarterbacks, don't have backing, maybe have issues with stadiums or facilities, fan support, whatever it may be," Reese observed.
"This organization doesn't need a lot of fixing," he added with a laugh. "They're already in pretty good shape. So, my objective is to come in and do whatever I can to help [Patriots owner Robert] Kraft and Bill [Belichick] win another world championship."
Reese began his football career as a college assistant coach before entering the NFL in 1975 as the Detroit Lions strength and conditioning coach. The following two years, he and Belichick crossed paths when Belichick became part of Detroit's staff.
"Floyd and I go back a long way, practically to the beginning for both of us," Belichick noted in a statement. "He has handled as much as one person can possibly handle in this league and to a certain extent, so has Nick. In Nick and Floyd, we have two outstanding men who each bring a wealth of knowledge and flexibility to this organization. I look forward to joining with both of them and working toward the common goal of our team's improvement and success."
After leaving Detroit, Reese was strength and conditioning coach for one season in San Francisco (1978) before joining Bud Grant's staff in Minnesota, where he coached linebackers, specials teams, and was defensive coordinator for one season. From 1986-89, Reese coached linebackers for the Houston Oilers before becoming the franchise's assistant general manager. He stayed with the team as they relocated to Tennessee and became the Titans. When Reese left the team after the 2006 season, he had risen to the rank of Executive VP/General Manager & Director of Football Operations.
"We consider ourselves fortunate to have the opportunity to add someone with Floyd Reese's NFL experience and expertise to our staff," Kraft declared in a statement. "Floyd will be a tremendous asset serving Coach Belichick in an advisory role."
