Patriots' Scarnecchia confirms retirement

The New England Patriots will look to bounce back next year without one of their most lauded assistant coaches.

Legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will retire, he told Mike Reiss of ESPN.

The 71-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best positional coaches in the league, previously retired after the 2013 campaign but returned to the Patriots in 2016.

Scarnecchia has been involved in five of New England's six Super Bowl wins, and his coaching career spans 48 years, including 36 in the NFL.

The Patriots' offensive line struggled this past season amid injuries, and the team will now need to improve the unit without its respected leader.