_(cropped).jpg) Scarnecchia in 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1948-02-14)February 14, 1948 (age 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | California Western |
| Career history | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
Dante Scarnecchia (/ˈdɑːnteɪskɑːrˈnɛkiə/DAHN-tay skar-NEK-ee-ə; born February 14, 1948) is an American formerfootballoffensive line coach and assistant head coach, best known for his 34-year association with theNew England Patriots of theNational Football League (NFL).
Scarnecchia has spent the majority of his professional coaching career with the Patriots, joining them in1982, only leaving in1989 to coach with theIndianapolis Colts, before returning to the Patriots two years later. He remained with the team as a coach until his retirement following the 2013 season.[1] He was rehired as the offensive line coach on February 16, 2016.[2] He retired on January 29, 2020,[3] and was inducted into thePatriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
Scarnecchia attendedTaft Junior College before transferring toCalifornia Western University in 1966, where he played football as anoffensive lineman and earned a degree inphysical education, while also serving as asergeant in theU.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
Scarnecchia began his coaching career in1970 with his alma mater California Western University as their offensive line coach, a position he held through1972. From1973 to1974, Scarnecchia was the assistant offensive line and assistant defensive backfield coach forIowa State University. In1975, he began a two-year stint withSouthern Methodist University, first as a graduate assistant before being promoted to offensive line coach upon the hiring of head coachRon Meyer in1976. From1977 through1978, Scarnecchia served as offensive line coach for theUniversity of the Pacific before spending a year atNorthern Arizona University in the same capacity. He returned to Southern Methodist in1980 as offensive line coach, spending two seasons there before following head coach Ron Meyer to the Patriots.
Scarnecchia joined the Patriots in1982 as aspecial teams andtight end coach. From 1989 to 1990, he served on Meyer'sIndianapolis Colts' staff as their offensive line coach. Scarnecchia returned to the Patriots in1991, where he spent two seasons underDick MacPherson again as a special teams and offensive line coach. In1992, Scarnecchia held the responsibilities of head coach while MacPherson was ill for the final eight games of the season. Under head coachBill Parcells in1993 and1994, Scarnecchia was reassigned as a special assistant. In1995, Scarnecchia was again reassigned, this time to a defensive assistant. Once Parcells left the team after the1996 New England Patriots season, andPete Carroll was hired as head coach, Scarnecchia became the team's special teams coach again. In Carroll's final season with the Patriots, Scarnecchia was reassigned to offensive line coach. New head coachBill Belichick additionally appointed Scarnecchia as the team's assistant head coach in2000.
Scarnecchia retired after the 2013 season, and was replaced byDave DeGuglielmo. After retiring as a coach, Scarnecchia continued working with the Patriots as a consultant; he had private workouts with the two offensive linemen the Patriots drafted in 2014,Bryan Stork andCameron Fleming.[4] After the Patriots fired DeGuglielmo after the 2015 season, the Patriots and Scarnecchia expressed mutual interest in having Scarnecchia return to coach the offensive line in 2016.[5] Scarnecchia subsequently rejoined the Patriots staff prior to the 2016 season, overseeing a resurgent offensive line that only allowed 16 sacks.[6] On February 5, 2017, Scarnecchia was part of the Patriots coaching staff that wonSuper Bowl LI. In the game, the Patriots defeated theAtlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.[7] Scarnecchia won his fifth Super Bowl title when the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams inSuper Bowl LIII.[8] Scarnecchia retired in 2020.[9] On April 6, 2023,Robert Kraft announced that Scarnecchia would be inducted into thePatriots Hall of Fame.[10]
Scarnecchia is married to Susan, with whom he has two children.[11] His son Steve has followed him into the NFL, having held positions with theNew York Jets, theDenver Broncos and theAtlanta Falcons,[12] and in 2021, returned to the Jets as the chief of staff to head coachRobert Saleh.[13]