Super Bowl LX is quickly approaching, and for the second straight year Cornell will be represented. Jason Houghtaling, former offensive coordinator for the Red, will be on the New England Patriots as an assistant offensive line coach for the big game.
The New England Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California to decide who will take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Houghtaling was the Red’s offensive coordinator for the 2013-14 season. While the Red’s record this season was quite underwhelming (3-7, 2-5 Ivy), Houghtaling’s offensive unit was the spotlight of the team. With Houghtaling at its helm, the offensive unit averaged 26.20 points per game and only scored less than 20 points on one occasion throughout the entire season.
The two seasons following Houghtaling's departure, the Red saw a significant dip in offensive production. In the 2014-15 season, the Red averaged 15.90 points per game, followed by a further decrease to 14.20 points per game in the 2015-2016 season.
After one season with the Red, Houghtaling returned to Wagner College as their offensive coordinator, the exact position he held before joining the Red. In 2015, Wagner appointed Houghtaling as their head coach, but his tenure would be largely forgettable, winning 16 games and losing 40.
Looking back at Houghtaling’s time with Wagner is now ironic, given the team’s name was the “Seahawks,” and now, the last team standing before him and a Super Bowl victory is the Seattle Seahawks.
Following his departure from Wagner, Houghtaling transitioned into an offensive line coach at Colgate University for the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
Once again, similarly to his time at Cornell, Houghtaling quickly departed for a new career opportunity. This time, Houghtaling made his way to the NFL, joining Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans coaching staff.
Houghtaling joined the Titans as assistant offensive line coach before quickly being promoted to the head offensive line coach. He would stay with the Titans for three seasons until Vrabel was fired. In the NFL, once the head coach is fired, it is common for the organization to clean house and relieve the rest of the coaching staff of their positions.
After leaving the Titans, Houghtaling worked with the Chicago Bears as an assistant offensive line coach for a season before reconnecting with Vrabel ahead of the 2025 season. After Vrabel was appointed head coach of the New England Patriots, Houghtaling decided to reunite with his old boss and join his coaching staff for the second time.
Coming off a four-win season, the Patriots did not have high expectations, let alone Super Bowl hopes. While the quarterback situation was not an issue, having recently drafted Drake Maye, a perennial MVP candidate this season, the rest of the team struggled. When it came to the Patriots’ offensive line, the unit was one of the team's worst areas.
The Patriots’ offensive line was statistically one of the worst during the 2024 season. The unit ranked last in the NFL in run-block win rate and second to last in pass-block win rate.
The recent season that saw Houghtaling assist in coaching the offensive line helped change the narrative. The Patriots’ offensive line improved significantly to ninth in run-block win rate and 14th in pass-block win rate.
While the improvement is notable, Houghtaling’s offensive line will need to be stellar if they want to take down the bruising force that is the Seattle Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold.
While fans of the Red will be hoping this is the second year a former member of the team wins the Super Bowl, after Jalyx Hunt ’23 won with the Eagles last year, it will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a notable moment in Cornell football history.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
