Even though Bill Belichick has led the New England Patriots since 2000, he is not the longest-tenured coach on his own staff. That title instead belongs to Ivan Fears, whose own arrival in Foxborough predates Belichick’s by one year.
Originally starting as the Patriots’ wide receivers coach under Pete Carroll in 1999 — a role he also held between 1991 and 1992 — Fears moved to the running back position in 2002. Since then, he has been responsible for the position group and has worked with franchise legends such as Kevin Faulk, Corey Dillon and James White.