DeMarcus Covington enters his fifth season overall with the Patriots in 2021 and his second as defensive line coach. Covington served as outside linebackers coach in 2019 after two seasons as a coaching assistant. Covington joined the organization in 2017 after spending the 2016 season as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Eastern Illinois. Prior to his time with the Panthers, Covington coached the defensive line at UT Martin in 2015. From 2013-14, he spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Ole Miss and in 2012, was a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Under Covington's guidance in 2019, Jamie Collins Sr. set career highs with seven sacks and three interceptions as part of a defense that finished No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (275.9 yards per game) and scoring (14.1 points allowed per game). He was the only player in the NFL with six or more sacks and three or more interceptions in 2019. No other Patriot has reached those marks in the same season. Kyle Van Noy also set a single-season career high with 6½ sacks and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors following a Week 4 win at Buffalo when he led the team with eight tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
Covington played collegiately at wide receiver for Samford University where he registered 62 receptions for 586 yards and two touchdowns from 2007-10. He graduated from Samford in 2011.
Off the field, Covington created Next Level in 2012, a non-profit football camp that serves as an outlet to the youth of his home town of Birmingham, Alabama, for a full day of football-related drills and activities. Covington and wife, Natasha have two sons, Cassius and Cayman.
