The Patriots bring on a new director of coaching analytics to work alongside Mike Vrabel and his staff.
Even with offseason workouts well underway, the New England Patriots continue to strengthen their organization both on and off the field. Their most recent move involves the creation of a new position on the coaching staff.
Ekene Olekanma, who previously worked for the San Francisco 49ers, has been hired as the Patriots’ director of coaching analytics. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Seth Walder.
Olekanma brings three years of experience from San Francisco, where he began as a football research and development analyst before advancing to the role of R&D coordinator. Prior to that, he spent a year with the Baltimore Ravens in a coaching research and development fellowship.
While with the 49ers, Olekanma was responsible for a range of analytical tasks to support the coaching staff, including self-scouting, opponent analysis, player evaluation, and the development of custom performance metrics, according to Kyle Posey of Niners Nation.
Before entering the NFL, Olekanma played linebacker in 47 games at the University of Toledo while earning degrees in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. He later completed a master’s degree in data science from DePaul University’s College of Computing and Digital Media, graduating with distinction in 2021.
In his new role with the Patriots, Olekanma is expected to collaborate closely with head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff. He joins an established analytics group that includes John Streicher (VP of football operations and strategy), Marshall Oium (director of football strategy), and Richard Miller (director of research).
