Report: Patriots Losing Beloved Longtime Assistant To Retirement

The New England Patriots are left with a few huge holes in their coaching staff. Another Patriots assistant will announce this retirement these days. Mike Reiss from ESPN was among the first to report that running backs coach Ivan Fears will call it career really soon.

“(I)t should only be a matter of time before longtime Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears announces his retirement after 31 NFL seasons and 25 with the Patriots,” Reiss wrote in his weekly notes column. “The possibility of doing some part-time work for the team could potentially be on the table, but as one longtime colleague of Fears relayed, it’s a blow when salt-of-the-earth people leave the profession.”

Patriots assistant to announce retirement after great career

Fears has been with the Patriots for a really long time. He joined the team in 1991 and had another stint in 1999. He is retiring this year, so do the math. Fears became a Patriots assistant before Bill Belichick joined the franchise. The head coach has nothing but praise for Fears and his impeccable coaching style. If you ask Belichick, he will say that Fears is the “ultimate team player.” Fears did everything Belichick asked him to do, and yes, the team won a lot of games with his help.

“Ivan’s meant a lot,” Belichick said in late December. “He really is the ultimate team player — one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever known. Works very hard, totally committed to the team, loves football, loves coaching football, loves being a part of the team and helping the team in any way. He’s always done whatever I’ve asked him to do. … He’s always there when you need him and you can always depend on him. He’s been a great friend, great coach, great part of this organization, and had a lot to do with our success.”

What it's all about ? @DHx34

(via @InsideTheNFL, @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/lWu7NJv6wN

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2022

Patriots players love Fears. Running back Brandon Bolden said that that Fears is like a “father/grandfather figure” to Patriots players.

Fears feels the same way about his players, and we have at least one good reason to believe that Damien Harris is his favorite.

“You’re going to have a great career,” Fears told Harris. “… You?re a different man than you were when you walked in here, son.”

“Yes, sir,” Harris replied. “All because of you.”