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COACHING

Scott Booker joins the Patriots as safeties coach after most recently serving as nickels/senior defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills in 2024.

Booker spent six seasons with the Tennessee Titans under Mike Vrabel, serving as a defensive assistant in his first two years (2018-19) and as safeties coach for his final four seasons (2020-23). Under Booker's tutelage, S Kevin Byard led the Titans in tackles for three consecutive seasons (2020-22) and led the team in interceptions for two straight years (2021-22). In 2021, Byard earned Associated Press First Team All-Pro honors and was named to the Pro Bowl as he led all NFL safeties with 13 passes defensed. A year prior in 2020, the Titans ranked seventh in the NFL with 15 interceptions, the most for the franchise since 2012, and Byard set a career high with 111 tackles.

As a defensive assistant in 2019, Booker helped Byard and S Kenny Vaccaro solidify themselves as one of the league's top safety duos. Both started all 16 games of the regular season, a first for Tennessee since 2010, and Byard's 5 interceptions ranked second among safeties in the league. Byard and Vaccaro combined for 6 interceptions on the year, and only four teams had more from their safeties. Byard and Vaccaro each recorded an additional interception in the Titans' divisional round win at Baltimore in the playoffs. In Booker's first season with the Titans, he worked primarily with the safeties and had a key role in Tennessee's sixth-ranked pass defense (216.9 yards per game) and eighth-ranked opponent passer rating (88.4).

Prior to joining the NFL ranks, Booker spent 15 years as a college coach. His most recent college position was as safeties coach and special teams coordinator for Nebraska in 2017. Booker spent most of his college coaching career with Notre Dame, first as an offensive intern from 2010-11, then as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator from 2012-16. Throughout his Notre Dame tenure, the Irish reached six bowl games, including the 2012 BCS National Championship game and the 2015 Fiesta Bowl. Also in 2012, TE Tyler Eifert won the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's best tight end, and was a consensus First-Team All-American. Eifert and tight ends Ben Koyack and Troy Niklas were all drafted after playing for Booker.

On the special teams side, K Kyle Brindza set school records for field goals made (57), field-goal attempts (81) and 50-yard field goals made (4). Brindza also claimed the top three single-season point totals by a kicker in Notre Dame history. Notre Dame's special teams unit scored 4 touchdowns in 2015, the most by an Irish team since 2000, and led the nation in blocked kicks in 2014.

Booker coached the secondary at Western Kentucky in 2009 after serving in the same role at Kent State from 2005-08. His first coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Kent State from 2003-04. In 2006, Booker helped the Golden Flashes to rank at the top of the MAC in pass efficiency defense, pass defense and interceptions.

PLAYING

Booker was a four-year letterwinner at Kent State from 1999-2002, earning a spot on the MAC All-Academic team in 2001. He played for a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Dean Pees, who was the Patriots' linebackers coach from 2004-05 and defensive coordinator from 2006-09.

PERSONAL

Booker graduated with his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2003 and his master's degree in sports studies in 2006, both from Kent State. He and his wife, Jen, have one daughter, Morgan.