Patriots ‘character’ coach leaving team

The coach in charge of building “character” among the New England Patriots has decided to leave the team.

Jack Easterby, who joined the Patriots six years ago, said his contract expired and he decided to pursue other interests.

The Boston Globe first reported the news, which USA Today confirmed on Friday.

“Just processing,” Easterby told USA Today via text message. “Been a challenging week. Humbled by all I’ve seen and been a part of.”

The Globe reported that Easterby thought his job “had run its course,” but he also wasn’t comfortable with the solicitation charges against team owner Robert Kraft.

Easterby’s title was character coach/team development, and he was uniquely qualified to fill that role.

While studying sports management at Newberry College in South Carolina, he was captain of the basketball and golf teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars hired him in football operations to work with the salary cap, but he decided numbers weren’t for him. He enrolled at Erskine and Liberty Theological Seminaries, according to a 2018 profile of him on the Patriots’ website.

“Just really wanted to learn more about Scripture and how to apply things more specifically to everyday life,” according to the profile. “I love people. I love Microsoft Excel, but not that much. I felt like I was called to go back and build relationships.”

He soon became the character coach for South Carolina’s athletic department, then joined the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots hired him in 2013 to help the team cope with the arrest of tight end Aaron Hernandez on murder charges.

He also served as team chaplain, and players described a warm relationship that existed between him and the team.

–Field Level Media