Longtime offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia retires

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, the league's longest-tenured coach with the same team, has retired.

Considered one of the best O-line coaches in NFL history, he spent 34 seasons with the Patriots and 36 in the league.

'œDante Scarnecchia has been unbelievable in every way. As a coach, he was extraordinarily talented at teaching his players and bringing the most out of each of them,'ť Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. 'œDante put everything he had into helping his players achieve their maximum potential, the mark of a great coach. His contributions to our team and to the game of football are unprecedented over the last four decades.

``Yet even more remarkable is the impact Dante has had on countless players, coaches and staff members who have walked through our doors. He modeled the principles he believed in through his hard work, diligence and integrity. He held himself accountable. He trained alongside his players. He treated everyone with respect.''

Scarnecchia left the game in 2014 and 2015 but returned to New England in 2016. He had other hiatuses from the Patriots after being hired in 1982, moving to the Indianapolis Colts with coach Ron Meyer in 1989 for two years. He then went back to the Patriots.

In all, he worked under six head coaches, including Hall of Famer Bill Parcells.

``There truly is no way to sum up the incredible career he's had, the positive impact he's made on our franchise or how much he will be missed,'' Kraft said.

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