Patriots to hire Tiquan Underwood as assistant wide receivers coach, per report

New England will add another familiar face to its coaching staff.

The New England Patriots are far from done adding coaches to their new-look staff, including those with direct ties to Jerod Mayo.

Tiquan Underwood, a former NFL wideout who spent part of his career with the Patriots, is “in the process” of joining the club as its new assistant wide receivers coach. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was first to report the hire.

Underwood, 36, entered the league as a seventh-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2009. He started out with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but in 2011 made the move to New England — being on the same roster as the aforementioned Jerod Mayo.

His first and only season in New England was not particularly noteworthy from a production perspective: Underwood caught three passes for 30 yards in a combined eight games. However, he made headlines for a) being the subject of a much-talked-about verbal dispute between quarterback Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, and b) getting cut on the eve of Super Bowl XLVI.

Underwood also spent time in Tampa Bay and Carolina, ending his NFL career with 63 catches for 1,006 yards and six touchdowns. He ended his playing career in the CFL, before making the transition to coaching in 2018.

After starting out as wide receivers coach at Lafayette, he had stints with the Miami Dolphins and at his alma mater, Rutgers. In 2022, Underwood joined the University of Pittsburgh as its wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

Following two seasons with the Panthers, he is now expected to return to the NFL — and to his old stomping grounds.