Covington is entering his eighth season overall with New England in 2024 after serving as the defensive line coach for the last four seasons (2020-23). He served as outside linebackers coach in 2019 after two seasons as a coaching assistant (2017-18). The Patriots defense finished in the top 10 in four of his five seasons as a position coach. Last season, the Patriots defense finished fourth against the run, allowing 93.2 yards per game, the team's best finish since allowing 88.6 yards per game in 2016. The Patriots defense allowed 3.3 yards per rush, the lowest in the NFL in 2023 and the lowest mark for the Patriots since the 1970 merger.
Covington originally joined New England in 2017 after spending the 2016 season as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Eastern Illinois. Prior to his time at Eastern Illinois, Covington coached the defensive line at University of Tennessee-Martin in 2015. He spent two seasons (2013-14) as a defensive graduate assistant at Ole Miss, and in 2012, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Following the 2022 season, Covington was selected to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Senior Bowl's American team. Covington played collegiately as a wide receiver for Samford University, where he registered 62 receptions for 586 yards and two touchdowns.
