FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots named their third defensive coordinator in three years Tuesday when they promoted Dean Pees from linebackers coach after Eric Mangini was named head coach of the New York Jets.

Pees held his former position for two seasons after serving as head coach at Kent State the previous six seasons.

He took his first NFL job with the Patriots when the defensive coordinator was Romeo Crennel, who became head coach of the Cleveland Browns after last season. Mangini succeeded Crennel after five seasons as the Patriots’ defensive backs coach.

“Dean Pees has done an outstanding job coaching our linebackers,” coach Bill Belichick said in a statement issued by the club. “When he joined us, Dean brought a wealth of experience into this system and has been a significant part of our success over the past two seasons.”

The appointment of Pees, 56, was announced about an hour after a news conference at which the Jets formally announced the hiring of Mangini, who will turn 35 on Thursday and is the youngest head coach at the NFL. The Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs last Saturday in a 27-13 loss at Denver after winning three of the previous four Super Bowls with Crennel as defensive coordinator and Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator.

Weis left after last season’s Super Bowl victory and became head coach at Notre Dame.

Pees had been a defensive coordinator for 15 seasons during a college coaching career that began in 1979 at the University of Findlay in Ohio.

“I am very appreciative and grateful for the opportunity that coach Belichick, (owner Robert) Kraft and the entire Patriots organization have given me,” Pees said in the statement. “I am extremely proud to be part of a first-class organization from top to bottom. I will work hard to continue the standard of excellence that is expected as a New England Patriot.”

By naming a defensive coordinator from within the organization for the second straight year, the transition should be smoother.

Pees has great familiarity with the Patriots defense but so does Mangini, who spent 10 seasons as a member of Belichick’s staffs, starting in 1995 in Cleveland followed by three years with the Jets before he joined New England in 2000 as defensive backs coach.

That could help the Jets in their two games against the Patriots each season. But Pees also has familiarity with Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban, another AFC East rival, having served as Saban’s defensive coordinator at Michigan State from 1995 through 1997.

Pees will oversee a defense that was ranked ninth in the NFL in 2004 but struggled with injuries early this season. It improved as the season progressed.

Strong safety Rodney Harrison has expressed optimism about returning next season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third game. Rookie Ellis Hobbs played well at cornerback after several players at that spot went on injured reserve.

The Patriots have an outstanding front seven with linemen Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork and linebackers Tedy Bruschi, Rosevelt Colvin, Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel, who moved from outside linebacker to inside after offseason pickups Monty Beisel and Chad Brown struggled in the inside positions.

Pees also has been an assistant at Miami (Ohio), Navy, Toledo and Notre Dame and succeeds a coordinator whose first NFL job was as an assistant in Cleveland.

“Eric worked his way from the most entry-level position to a position of great responsibility during several successful seasons,” Belichick said in a statement. “The opportunity Eric has now earned is truly an example of good things happening to a good, hard-working person and I wish him well.”

AP-ES-01-17-06 1852EST