Chad O'Shea was hired as the Patriots' receivers coach on Feb. 25, 2009. He is entering his 17th coaching season and his 10th NFL season.
COACHING
Chad O'Shea was hired as the Patriots' receivers coach on Feb. 25, 2009. He is entering his 17th coaching season and his 10th NFL season.
The Patriots wide receivers had a record-setting year in 2011. Wes Welker set a franchise record with 1,569 receiving yards and became the second player in NFL history to record a second 120-catch season, joining Cris Carter, when he caught a league-high 122 passes. Additionally, Patriots receivers aided Tom Brady to the second-most passing yards (5,235) in a single season in NFL history.
The 2010 season saw the return of one of the most prolific postseason receivers of all time to the Patriots roster. With Deion Branch back on the team, the Patriots passing game flourished, finishing second in the NFL in net yards per passing play. Under Coach O'Shea's tutelage, Branch had a resurgent season and Wes Welker had another stellar year after successfully returning from a serious knee injury suffered late in the 2009. Welker tied for sixth in the NFL with 86 catches, earning his third straight Pro Bowl invitation.
In 2009, Wes Welker (1,348) and Randy Moss (1,264) both went over 1,000 yards receiving. Welker led the NFL with 123 receptions, while Moss tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown receptions.
O'Shea joined the Patriots in 2009 after spending three seasons as offensive assistant/wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings (2006-08), assisting Minnesota's offensive coordinator and the Vikings' wide receivers coach. In 2008, Minnesota wide receiver Bernard Berrian ranked second in the NFL with an average of 20.8 yards per catch and the Vikings offense led the NFL with 13 touchdown receptions of 20 yards or longer. In 2007, the Vikings offense tied a team record with 19 plays of 50 yards or longer.
O'Shea's first NFL experience came with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he served as a volunteer special teams assistant in 2003 and assisted with special teams and linebackers for two seasons from 2004-05. In 2003, Kansas City had an NFL-best four special teams touchdowns while leading the NFL in both kick return and punt return average. The following season, the Chiefs set a team record for kick return yards (1,820) as Dante Hall returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Prior to entering the NFL, O'Shea spent seven years coaching in the college ranks at his alma mater, the University of Houston (1996-99), and Southern Mississippi (2000-02). After graduation, he was a graduate assistant at Houston in 1996 and was hired as Houston's wide receivers coach in 1997. He took over as TEs/special teams coach in 1998 and added the title of recruiting coordinator in 1999. In 2000, he began a three-year stint as Southern Mississippi's special teams coach and recruiting coordinator. During his time with the Eagles, his units blocked 21 kicks.
PLAYING
O'Shea played quarterback at Marshall University for two seasons (1991-92) before finishing his playing career at Houston (1994-95). He was team captain his senior season at Houston.
PERSONAL
Chad O'Shea was born on Dec. 18, 1972 in Houston. His father, Mike, served as a longtime athletic trainer in the collegiate and NFL ranks, including a stint with the Baltimore Colts. O'Shea received his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1995 from Houston. Chad and his wife, Melissa, have two daughters, Claire and Grace, and a son, Mick.
