The Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Mike Pellegrino “as a defensive backs coach,” according to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Pellegrino, who turns 33 in July, played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins before his NFL coaching career began in 2015. Here’s a snapshot of his experience:
- 2015-2018 — New England Patriots coaching assistant
- 2019-2024 — New England Patriots cornerbacks coach
- 2025 — Buffalo Bills nickels coach
Pellegrino won two Super Bowls (LI and LIII … but not LII, of course) as an assistant on Bill Belichick’s staff. He was retained by Jerod Mayo for his sole season as a head coach but was shown the door when Mike Vrabel returned to Foxborough.
Pellegrino coached these notable cornerbacks during his time with the Pats: Stephon Gilmore (NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019), J.C. Jackson (22 interceptions from 2019-2021), Christian Gonzalez (second-team All-Pro in 2024), Jason McCoutry, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, and Jack Jones. Pretty good track record. In one year with the Bills, he worked with one of the NFL’s better slot corners in Taron Johnson.
It remains to be seen the exact title that Pellegrino will hold in Philly. It was previously reported that the Eagles internally promoted safeties coach Joe Kasper to defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach in order to replace Christian Parker, who left to become the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. The Eagles also currently have a cornerbacks coach in Roy Anderson. Maybe Anderson won’t be back? Or maybe the team is hiring Pellegrino as a nickels coach?
We’ll see. For now, this hire seems like a good one.
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