Zak Kuhr becomes the Patriots' defensive play-caller in Super Bowl run

Zak Kuhr, who previously coached running backs at Rutgers and had limited coordinator experience on offense, took over calling defensive plays for the Patriots after defensive coordinator Terrell Williams stepped away to recover from prostate cancer.

Zak Kuhr might be the unlikeliest defensive play-caller in Super Bowl history. His path to the role followed varied stops in college and the NFL. About ten years ago he was coaching running backs at Rutgers. He had prior coordinator experience only on offense at James Madison and Texas State, and he was the Giants' assistant linebackers coach last season. Reported details: - Kuhr was asked to call defensive plays for the Patriots in Week 2 after defensive coordinator Terrell Williams stepped away to recover from prostate cancer. - His background includes coaching running backs at Rutgers roughly a decade ago and offensive coordinator roles at James Madison and Texas State. - He served as the Giants' assistant linebackers coach in the season before joining the Patriots staff. - Kuhr said his priority was to earn players' trust and to show commitment through work ethic and conversations. Summary: The change placed Kuhr into a central in-game role despite a nontraditional coaching background. Reports emphasize his focus on building trust with players as he settled into play-calling responsibilities. Undetermined at this time