Mike Pellegrino enters his 10th season overall with the Patriots, and sixth as cornerbacks coach. Pellegrino originally joined the organization as a football operations intern in 2015 and spent four seasons as a coaching assistant.
In 2023, the Patriots defense finished 7th overall in total defense. In 2022, Pellegrino led a secondary as part of a defense that finished No. 1 in the NFL in interception yards (383), interceptions returned for touchdowns (5) and defensive touchdowns (7). The unit also ranked third in interceptions (19) and tied for second in total takeaways (30). Cornerbacks Jack Jones, Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones combined for eight of the 19 interceptions and three of five interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Following the 2022 season, Pellegrino served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the West team in the East-West Shrine Bowl, assisting the team to a 12-3 victory.
Under Pellegrino's guidance in 2021, J.C. Jackson finished second in the league in total takeaways with nine and led the league in passes defensed with 23. Jackson was named to the Pro Bowl and was also named second-team All-Pro.
In Pellegrino's first season as cornerbacks coach in 2019, the defense finished No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (275.9 yards per game) and scoring (14.1 points allowed per game). Additionally, Stephon Gilmore turned in a career season, becoming the first Patriot to win Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with a career-high six interceptions and his second straight year with 20 passes defensed, joining Ty Law (1998 & 2003) as the only Patriots with two seasons of 20-plus passes defensed. Gilmore also earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.
Pellegrino graduated from John Hopkins in 2015 where he majored in political science with a minor in entrepreneurship and management. He was a two-time All-American and team captain for the lacrosse team as a long stick midfielder. Pellegrino was selected by the New York Lizards in the second round of the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft in 2015. He played one season with New York and spent the 2016-17 seasons with the Boston Cannons, all while working as a coaching assistant with the Patriots.
Pellegrino was born on July 24, 1993, to Kerri-Ann and Joseph Pellegrino. The Long Island native's father is a retired NYPD officer and his older brother, Joseph Jr., currently serves in the NYPD. Pellegrino married his wife, Amanda, in 2022. Amanda ran track at Towson University and is currently a pediatric occupational therapist at Boston Children's Hospital.
